Savage Hearts
by iyfanatic
Summary: Naruto was engaged to the man of his dreams, Itachi Uchiha. At least, up until his cousin Sakura Haruno came to town. Now she's stolen his perfect man, yet she's STILL trying to seduce Itachi's estranged brother, Sasuke! Naruto says: Oh, HELL NO! SasuNaru
1. The Beginning of a Love Story

Hello all! It's been so long since I've updated anything (much less published anything new!), that I'm kinda intimidated by the thought of posting this. Hopefully this story will be finished, unlike most of my other ones, in which I either lost inspiration, my notes, or both... Let's keep our fingers crossed, ne?

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the series _Naruto_, I am merely borrowing a few of the characters for a bit. I will put them back, relatively safe and sound... eventually, haha.

**Warnings: Yaoi **of the SasuNaru variety! But that won't happen for a while, so in the meantime... Light NejiGaara and ItaNaru! Please don't read if you can't at least tolerate these pairings! I don't wish to receive any flames over this... Also, strong possibility of **strong language**...

**Additional Notes: **This is completely **AU**, inspired by the Mexican telenovela Corazon Salvaje (the original, not the crappy remake that's airing right now!). I realize that there is a similar fic posted on this site that has the same concept (Savages of the Heart by Phantomsnow - pretty good, check it out!), but this is not the same thing, and NO, I am not copying. As for those of you who know Spanish and might whine about the way I translated the title - yes, it is possible to translate SALVAJE into WILD, but I didn't like the sound of it. "Wild Hearts" makes the story seem like some trashy Harlequin romance novel... Also, keep in mind that in this make-believe world, it is rare but possible for men to become pregnant, and therefore it is not strange at all for two males to be engaged. Okay? I guess I better add this to the **warning: mention of mpreg**, but there will be no actual pregnancy in this story. Maybe in the sequel, if we ever make it that far...

Now, please enjoy my new story, and don't forget to review once you're done! This chapter is 5000 plus words - I believe that deserves at least a one-line review!

---------- **SAVAGE HEARTS - THE BEGINNING OF A LOVE STORY **----------

"Oh, I'm so nervous!" Naruto whispered, wringing his hands and fidgeting with his clothes. He was not used to wearing such fancy, well-pressed things; he would much rather be wearing his usual regulation ninja uniform than these stiff black slacks and matching crisp white shirt.

Naruto could not sit still, no matter how much he tried. His uncle, Iruka Umino, who was sitting on the armchair across from him, kept shooting him reprimanding glances, clearly trying to communicate his thoughts (_Calm down, Naruto!_) without having to open his mouth.

Naruto pouted, looking towards his twin brother. _How can I be calm at a time like this?_ Naruto's wide blue eyes asked silently. His twin shrugged, unable to answer. With a huff, Naruto sprang up from the comfortable couch he was sitting on and started to pace back and forth.

Iruka sighed, glancing at the tracks Naruto was wearing into the carpet. He decided to ignore it; if it was any other day, Iruka would have brought it to Naruto's attention, but today the poor boy was stressed out enough as it was. He just hoped the maids would be able to fix the damage.

He looked back up at his blond nephew, who was now peering out of one of the family room's large windows. Naruto had chosen the one that gave the clearest view of the road leading up to their family's large home.

They were expecting important guests to arrive that day – Naruto's fiancé's family, coming to finalize their marriage contract.

"Oh, Iruka, how am I supposed to tell them that I don't want to get married to Neji?" Naruto whined, turning away from the window to pin his uncle with his worried gaze.

Iruka sighed, "The way you just told me, Naruto. Neji-kun has no objection to breaking the contract, so you will only have to convince his uncle."

"Hm, I guess you're right. If only his uncle wasn't such a stickler for tradition, we wouldn't even be in this mess!" Naruto said, thinking back to when he first found out about his engagement.

---------- I mark the beginning of a flashback! ----------

"Naruto!"

Naruto, having just gotten home from the Academy along with his brother, gulped audibly at Iruka's shout.

Gaara looked at Naruto with suspicious teal-colored eyes. He raised a non-existent eyebrow, silently asking, _what have you done now?_

Naruto scowled at his younger red-haired brother. "Why does everyone always look at me like that?"

Gaara shrugged and left him to meet his fate at the hands of their uncle, heading upstairs to cloister himself in his room.

Naruto sighed, _I haven't even __**done**__ anything! Not today, anyway… So what could Iruka want?_

He hastily dropped his bag in the entryway, confident that a maid would find it and place it in his room for him, and went off in search of Iruka. Through many years of mischievousness, Naruto had found that it was best not to keep his uncle waiting.

After glancing into a few rooms, Naruto found his uncle seated behind the large desk in the study. Iruka's hands were clasped in front of his face, his eyes looking pensively into the depths of his steaming tea.

Hoping to break the tension in the room, Naruto dropped down into one of the chairs placed in front of the desk, saying loudly, "I didn't know you could read tea leaves, Iruka!"

Iruka, usually one with a good sense of humor and always quick to laugh at one of Naruto's cracks, even if it was at his own expense, did not smile. All he did was raise his gaze from his teacup to Naruto's face, perusing it intently. What he was searching for, Naruto did not know, but Iruka's attentive stare caused him to squirm in his chair uncomfortably.

"Eh, what's up, Iruka-sensei?" Naruto asked, dropping back into his childhood habit of referring to his uncle as his teacher.

When he was younger, back before Naruto and Gaara's parents died and Iruka had to take over the running of the family estate, Iruka had been one of the teachers at the Academy. In order to prevent accusations of favoritism, Iruka had asked everyone to call him Iruka-sensei, including his two young nephews. Now, whenever Iruka became overly serious, such as he had been when he was their teacher (because Iruka had taken his job _very_ seriously), Naruto fell back into calling him sensei.

Iruka's eyes softened a little at the old title, and a quiet sigh escaped his lips, accompanied by a soft smile. "Don't worry, Naruto. You're not in trouble this time. I just need to talk to you about…" Iruka had started off strong, but by the end, he trailed off into silence.

Naruto, noticing the pause, prompted, "Yes, talk to me about what, Iruka-sensei?"

With yet another sigh, Iruka gathered his courage and blurted, "You're going to get married!"

Naruto laughed heartily. It took a long while for him to stop, resulting in his stomach cramping up. "Ha, that was a good one, Iruka," he said, wiping at his eyes. "You really had me going for a while. Now, what did you _really_ have to tell me?"

Iruka ran a hand through his shoulder-length brown hair. That was when Naruto noticed, for the first time, that Iruka didn't have his hair gathered into the usual ponytail. Naruto would never be noted as the most observant of ninjas, but he _had_ noticed that Iruka only wore his hair loose when he was worried; he had a nervous habit of running a hand through his hair, and that was always made easier when it was loose.

"Naruto… I wish I was just joking, but I'm not. Hiashi Hyuuga came to visit me today, and I'm afraid he didn't bring good news-" Iruka started, but was interrupted by his nephew.

"When does he? He's a complete bastard!" Naruto, seeing the way Iruka frowned at his language, scowled at his uncle and said, "Don't deny it! He's got a stick so far up his butt, he wouldn't know good news if it yanked that stick out and slapped him in the face with it!"

A blush appeared across Iruka's nose at his nephew's graphic words, highlighting the scar that rested there. He cleared his throat and continued, "Be that as it may, Naruto… Your father, may he rest in peace, was good friends with Hiashi's late twin brother, Hizashi; they were so close they were practically brothers. They agreed that their first-born children, which would be you and Neji-kun ("But Gaara is my twin brother! I'm only older by three minutes!" Naruto interjected), when they came of age, would marry each other, which would make them legal relatives."

Naruto choked. "What! My own father sold me out just so he could be closer to one of his friends? That's bull!"

"Naruto! Watch your language! You are much too young to be saying such things!" Iruka reprimanded him, shaking his finger in his nephew's face in an emphatic no-no.

"But Iruka! That is so not fair! How can I be too young to swear but be old enough to get married? I'm only thirteen! I haven't become Hokage yet!" Naruto whined, his lip coming out in a pout.

Iruka sighed and leaned back in his chair, rubbing at his tired eyes. He recognized the wisdom in Naruto's words, but he could do nothing to change things. "I know, Naruto. I don't agree with this either, but your father and Hizashi signed a written statement; while not a marriage contract, exactly, it still holds weight."

"But they're dead! Who is going to know if Neji and I don't get married and fulfill the contract? Who the heck is going to care?"

"Hiashi cares!" Iruka said, slamming his hands on the desk and leaning across it to better look into Naruto's eyes. "That's the reason he came today. Since Hizashi is dead, as his brother, Hiashi is now in charge of Neji-kun's well-being. He considers it his duty to get Neji-kun married to a respectable partner… What could be easier than to just follow Hizashi's wishes and enforce the contract he and your father drew up?"

Naruto fell back into his chair, folding in on himself. "I don't want to get married, Iruka-sensei…"

Iruka's warm brown eyes softened in concern. He rose from his seat and rounded the desk, stooping down to gather his nephew into a protective hug. "I know you don't, Naruto. I'm very sorry, and you know I would never force you to do this if I had any other choice, but this marriage _has_ to happen. I have no say in the matter; it was decided long before I became your legal guardian. The only way to break this marriage, as far as I can see, is to convince both Neji-kun and Hiashi to drop the matter completely…"

---------- I mark the end of the flashback! ----------

So now here they were, four years later, awaiting the Hyuuga family's arrival. It being April, Naruto was now seventeen years old (Neji was already eighteen, of legal age for marriage, _gulp_), and six months from now, on the eve of his birthday, he would be married. That is, if they didn't manage to convince Hiashi to forget about the marriage contract.

The only reason Hiashi had even waited so long to enforce the marriage contract was because his brother Hizashi and Naruto's father, Minato Namikaze, the Yondaime Hokage, had clearly expressed their wish for a long engagement - to "allow them to _bond_," Naruto recalled sarcastically, wrinkling his nose.

_But at least I don't have to worry about convincing Neji!_ Naruto thought optimistically, bouncing in place at the uplifting notion. _Honestly, the fact that he and Gaara fell in love was a __**big**__ surprise_, he reflected, glancing over at his red-haired brother, who was still calmly lounging on one of the recliners. _I __**still**__have no idea how they even started dating… I really thought they hated each other at first…_

---------- I mark the beginning of a flashback! ----------

A few months after Naruto and Iruka's conversation about his imminent wedding, school ended for summer break and Naruto and Gaara were shipped off to the Hyuugas' mansion (they referred to it as the Hyuuga _Compound_, but Naruto always thought that made them seem like something to be kept in a cage or something…).

When the Namizaki (Namikaze-Uzumaki, but Naruto preferred to shorten it, at least in his mind) brothers first arrived, they were met by a truly intimidating sight – all of the Hyuuga clan members were lined up in front of the entrance, the branch members on the left and the main clan members on the right, with Hiashi Hyuuga standing prominently in the space in between.

Looking out at them as the carriage drew up, Naruto gulped. "Gaara…! They all look like psycho killers with those freaky white eyes! Even the little kids look like they could happily whoop my ass… And I'm supposed to marry into this family?"

Gaara, who was not big on emotional expression, despite (or perhaps because of) being around Naruto's exuberance all of his life, was still forced to chuckle at the truly horrified look on his older brother's face. "It can't be that bad, Naruto. You hate it when people judge us on our looks; why are you so willing to judge the Hyuugas on theirs?"

Naruto tilted his head, making him look like a curious fox with the whisker marks that were permanently etched onto his cheeks. "That's true, I guess…"

---------- I mark the beginning of a flashback WITHIN a flashback, whoa! ----------

Ever since they were little, both Naruto and his younger twin Gaara had been looked at strangely and treated differently by the rest of the populace. It was most notable in the lower-class, members of which would openly glare at them as they rode past in their carriage on their way to the Academy. Their fellow upper-class peers stuck to merely whispering about them as they walked past or glaring discreetly at them, always quick to turn away when either of the brothers looked directly at them.

Naruto, being more sensitive to these sorts of things, would tear up and hide behind whichever caretaker was toting them around that day. It was the younger twin, Gaara, who was more resilient to this harsh treatment; he would merely glare right back at anyone bold enough to make a face at him.

It was not until the twins were twelve years old that Naruto finally cracked and asked Iruka why they were treated that way. Iruka had sighed and sat them both down in the study, giving each a comforting hug before telling them the story behind their unusual births.

"When the two of you were born, two demons attacked the village. They were known as Kyuubi, the nine-tailed fox, and Shukaku, the one-tailed tanuki. As the Hokage, it was your father's duty to contain them and save the village from destruction. He did this by sealing the two demons into two newborn boys – his _own_ newborn boys. Naruto," Iruka said, tenderly moving the boy's blond bangs away from his forehead to better see his eyes, "you contain the Kyuubi, while you, Gaara," he said, turning to give the younger twin much the same treatment, "you contain Shukaku."

"WHAT!" was Naruto's response, while Gaara, always the quieter one, merely widened his teal-colored eyes and squeezed the chair's armrests tightly, his knuckles turning white.

"I know this is shocking boys, but it was about time you knew about it. I'd been wondering when you would finally mention it, actually. I expected you to ask a lot sooner, Naruto," Iruka said, glancing fondly at the blond teen.

Naruto huffed, glaring at his uncle. "You could have told us before, without waiting for _one of us_ to ask!" Naruto replied, emphasizing the fact that _Gaara_ could have asked about it first, too.

Iruka smiled, leaning back against the desk casually. "I couldn't, actually. Before Minato's death, he made a public decree: 'No one is to speak of the demons, nor speak ill of the jinchurikis that house them; you are to treat my sons as heroes, for without them, we would all have perished…' Your father was quite the public speaker," Iruka said, his eyes glazed in remembrance. "Everyone respected him, so they respected his wishes. No one speaks out against either of you publicly, but of course that doesn't prevent anyone from thinking what they wish or speaking behind closed doors…"

Gaara frowned. "Or whispering behind our backs, or punishing their children for being around us."

"Well, your father did the best he could, under the circumstances. You've never known this, but Minato had actually been meant to die at the time of the sealing, something he accepted when he went off to fight the demons. If Sandaime hadn't stepped in and helped him, sacrificing himself in the process, Minato would have died that night. Since your mother Kushina died in childbirth, you two would have been orphaned, with no one knowing that you were Minato's sons – your parents weren't married, you know…"

Naruto – and Gaara as well, surprisingly – gasped. "Our parents weren't married?" they asked simultaneously, not even bothering to glare at each other as they usually did when this happened (and it happened _a lot_).

Iruka shook his head. _Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned that? …Oh, well, what's done is done._ "No, they weren't. I didn't even know Kushina was pregnant; your father had her hidden away. He later told me that Kushina wanted to wait until you two were born to get married. Kushina had said she didn't want to look huge in her wedding dress, and your father would have done anything to make her happy…"

"But that never happened," Gaara stated simply, neither his face nor his tone reflecting any emotion that he might be feeling.

"No, unfortunately not. Kushina died right after giving birth to you – too much internal bleeding. Usually that wouldn't have been a problem; a med-nin could have easily fixed the tears, but as all experienced med-nin were needed out on the battlefield…" Iruka trailed off, his tone somber.

It was not necessary for him to continue; it was clear to both teens what had happened. With no experienced med-nin around to fix her up, their mother had simply bled out on her hospital bed, dying unnecessarily.

"Your father didn't take another partner afterwards; he claimed that as far as he was concerned, Kushina was his wife and no one could take her place. I don't know if you two remember, you were very young, but Minato started to slowly waste away long before his death. Even though he survived the demons' sealing, his chakra was severely depleted, and raising two boys on his own while running the village as Hokage was incredibly taxing. Most people could tell the end was coming; he could too.

"He mentioned to me one day that he was glad he would be able to be with Kushina once again, even though he would have to leave his sons behind to do so. That was his only regret – not being here to watch you two grow up," Iruka said sadly, reaching over to muss up both of the teens' hair. Naruto, with tan skin, blond hair and blue eyes, was a dead-ringer for his father, while Gaara, with his pale skin and red hair, looked more like Kushina.

Naruto sniffed. "That's so sad. I don't remember any of that! I can only remember running around dad's office or waiting for him to pick us up at the Academy, or him reading to us before bed…" He turned to his twin, "Do you remember anything?"

Gaara shook his head. "I only remember that he gave me my teddy bear for our fourth birthday…" he said, a blush spreading across his pale cheeks. The fact that Gaara had carried around a teddy bear in his childhood and that he had kept it (it was currently hidden in the back of his closet) was a closely guarded secret.

Iruka laughed. "I don't blame you, Gaara. You two were barely going to turn five when Minato died. It's been a while since then…"

---------- I mark the end of the flashback WITHIN a flashback! ----------

Naruto sighed. "Why are you always right, Gaara? It's not fair. I'm the older brother – _I'm_ the one that's supposed to be all wise and give _you _good advice!"

Gaara just smirked back at him, saying, "Well, we can't always get what we want, _nii-san_."

Naruto puffed out his cheeks, managing to look like an angry chipmunk. He was just about to yell at his brother, hand up in a fist to shake in front of his face (to further prove his point, of course), when the carriage came to a halt in front of the Hyuuga mansion. Naruto sat back down in his seat, his anxiety coming back in full force.

Gaara shook his head at the way his brother's face was so easy to read – he was like an open book. The red-head reached over and took Naruto's hand. "Don't worry, Naruto. I'll be with you at all times. If that Neji kid tries anything funny, I'll kick his ass."

Naruto blushed. He might have more brute strength and sheer power (nine tails is much more than one, after all) than his brother, but Gaara was a better strategist and had much more control over his own power, making him the better fighter of the two. This had caused Gaara to be protective of his older twin brother, especially when it came to guys who seemed to like Naruto, and not just as friends.

"I'm sure he won't try anything, Gaara. Don't worry about it. His whole family seems way too uptight; I'm sure he hasn't even _thought_ of jacking off yet!"

It was the red-head's turn to blush. _Naruto can be so crude sometimes…_

Their conversation was interrupted by the carriage door opening, held ajar by their manservant.

"Well… Here we go!" Naruto said, fixing a smile onto his face. As the older brother, heir and representative of the Namikaze-Uzumaki family, Naruto got out first, walking up to the imposing figure of Hiashi Hyuuga and extending a hand to him confidently after a small bow of respect. Gaara stood a step behind and to the right, as per his position of second heir, even though they were twins, born only three minutes apart. Three minutes made a lot of difference sometimes.

"Ah, Naruto-kun," Hiashi said, shaking Naruto's hand firmly. "It is a pleasure to receive both you and your brother in our home. I am sure Neji-kun is very excited to get to know you better."

Naruto, sneaking a look at Neji (who he had seen in the Academy, Neji being in the year above him), noticed that he didn't _look_ very excited. There was a slight downturn to the brunet's lips, the only thing showing his displeasure in an otherwise blank face.

"The pleasure is all mine, Hiashi-sama," Naruto said, his fake, polite smile firmly in place.

As Hiashi turned to lead them into his home, Naruto caught movement out of the corner of his eye. It was Neji, turning his face away, nose in the air. _What's up with that?_ Naruto wondered. The answer was revealed to him when he turned to Gaara, hoping to question him with his eyes (they, being twins, were good at silent communication). Naruto saw that Gaara was much too busy to pay him any attention – too busy glaring at Neji. _Ah, _Naruto thought, _he was offended by Gaara's Glare of Doom_.

_I wonder why Gaara's glaring at him, though. Usually nothing can bother him, at least not this easily…_

--------- I am a page break! ----------

The rest of their summer had been spent following a (very very boring) routine. The twins would get up, take a shower, and then go downstairs for breakfast. They would always be accompanied by Neji and Hiashi, along with Hiashi's two daughters, Hinata and Hanabi.

Hinata was a classmate from the Academy, so Naruto had no problems talking to her. He noticed, however, that if he spoke to Hinata for too long, she would turn an incredible shade of red and start to stutter. Sometimes she overheated so much that she fainted, almost giving Naruto a heart attack. Whenever he mentioned Hinata's strange medical condition, however, everyone in the room rolled their eyes. Naruto would pout, offended at their lack of concern for the girl. (Of course, he never realized that Hinata's _condition_ was merely a large crush on him.)

Hiashi's other daughter, Hanabi, was a few years younger than them, but she was much more outspoken than her older sister. Naruto secretly thought she was rather spoiled. He also noticed that, even though she was the second born, she did not have the curse seal that would mark her as part of the Hyuuga branch family. When Naruto questioned Neji about this, the older teen answered that Hiashi believed Hanabi to be a better head for the Hyuuga main family, and that he was merely waiting for Hinata to mess up in order to have a reason to demote her to the branch family. Naruto was saddened by this news.

After breakfast, which was usually quiet apart from Naruto's own constant babble, they would go outside and explore the Hyuugas' estate. Unfortunately, the property was not that large, and Naruto (and Gaara, who always followed along, despite the fact that he wished Naruto would just sit down somewhere quietly) had explored every nook and cranny of it by the end of the first week. Afterwards, they contented themselves by going horseback riding, going swimming in the nearby pond, or reading quietly outside (this was mostly Gaara; Naruto would end up napping after the first page). Once the sun had set and they could linger outside no longer, the twins (and Neji, who was ordered to _bond_ with Naruto) would head inside for dinner, which would go almost the same as breakfast.

As the summer passed, Neji became a close friend to Naruto, but he had the sneaking suspicion that Gaara really didn't like him. Whenever Neji came up to him and touched his shoulder, or held his hand, or ruffled his hair, Gaara would glare at Neji and subtly maneuver himself in between them. Naruto had no idea why Gaara took such offense to Neji's closeness; he thought Neji was simply a touchy-feely guy…

Of course Naruto, being the oblivious guy he is, didn't notice the way Neji would smirk tauntingly at Gaara every time he touched his brother (secretly hoping to rile the red-head teen up).

This was the way their days would go, simply a repetition of the day before, with maybe a slight change here or there. That is, until the day that a servant announced that Neji had a visitor…

---------- I am a page break! ----------

Naruto, despite Neji's urging otherwise, followed his brunet host into the Hyuuga family's comfortable living room. He was not about to pass up anything that would break up the monotony of living with the Hyuugas. Gaara, of course, followed.

Entering behind Neji, who was taller than him (_then again, who isn't?_ Naruto thought sourly), Naruto couldn't see Neji's guest. He could smell him, though (being a demon fox's container had to be good for _something_); it was a warm, spicy smell that had Naruto's nose tingling. His blue eyes sparkled. _Whoever this guest is, he sure does smell good!_

"Ah, Neji! It's good to see you," the mysterious guest greeted, his voice a smooth, low baritone.

_Wow, I wish __**my**__ voice could sound like that!_ Naruto thought, a small spark of jealousy flaring up in him. Despite the fact that he was already thirteen and had gone through puberty, his voice had hardly deepened; it was still a high, rough tenor.

Neji nodded, his long curtain of brown hair swishing with the movement. "It is nice to see you as well, cousin," he said, moving forward into the room, finally allowing the twins to see the visitor.

Naruto forgot how to breathe. He stood completely still, taken by surprise by the stranger's beauty.

Neji's visitor had long, ashy-black hair, tied back by a ribbon into a low ponytail, his long bangs escaping to frame his face. He had creamy pale skin, only flawed by the two deep lines running down his face. _But are they really flaws? _Naruto wondered,_ or are they simply a testament to how stressful his job is? After all, being the youngest ANBU captain in history is no easy task..._ As soon as he had seen him, Naruto instantly knew who this man was: Itachi Uchiha, the genius of the prestigious Uchiha clan. There was no mistaking him; his eyes did not lie – the Sharingan, the Uchiha clan's kekkei genkai, seemed to be a permanent feature in this man's eyes.

Gaara poked his brother in the side with his elbow. When Naruto still did not move, the red-head gave an inward sigh and pushed him forward gently. As the heir, Naruto was the one that had to be introduced first.

At the shove, Naruto snapped out of his daze, a light blush dusting his cheeks. _I can't believe I spaced out like that! He must think I'm an idiot!_ Peering quickly at Itachi, Naruto saw no clear outward expression. _Well, if he thinks I'm a dork, at least he's not obvious about it…_

Naruto stepped forward, giving a quick bow. "Hello! I'm Naruto Namikaze-Uzumaki. It's a pleasure to meet you!"

Itachi smirked, giving the blond teen a quick once-over. The blond didn't notice, but Gaara did – he tried to keep his growl to a minimum, hiding the way his hands clenched by placing them behind his back.

"The pleasure is all mine, Naruto-kun," Itachi drawled, holding out a hand. Naruto eagerly reached for it, shaking it enthusiastically. When he tried to take back his hand, however, Itachi held onto it, saying, "I am Itachi Uchiha, Neji's cousin. I did not know he had such beautiful guests over, or else I would have come over to visit much sooner…"

Naruto blushed deeply, stuttering when he tried to reply.

Gaara frowned and pushed forward, subtly placing himself in front of his older brother. "Hello," he said dryly. "I am Gaara Namikaze-Uzumaki, Naruto's brother."

Itachi was forced to turn his gaze from the delightfully blushing blond to the red-head in front of him. "Pleasure to meet you, Gaara-kun," he said simply.

Before he could try to turn on the charm, Neji quickly stepped forward and drew Itachi's attention by saying, "How about we head over to the den to relax?"

Itachi nodded, and motioned for Neji to take the lead. Giving his cousin a warning glance, Neji turned away. Inwardly, Itachi scoffed. _I'm not interested in the red-head, Neji. No worries. It is little Naruto-kun that draws my interest…_

From that day on, Itachi Uchiha became a regular visitor to the Hyuuga Compound.

---------- I mark the end of the (freakishly long) flashback! ----------

Every summer after that, Naruto and Gaara would be shipped off to the Hyuugas. The twins did not complain. Naruto was always eager to see Itachi, who he had realized he had a major crush on, and Gaara was _not reluctant_ to see Neji. Naruto always laughed at Gaara's wording. He had discovered that his brother, unlike what he had thought previously, really liked Neji – and that Neji liked Gaara right back.

When they had first told Iruka about the situation, he had been stunned into silence. It was unexpected, after all, for _Gaara_ to like Neji, when it was _Naruto_ that was engaged to the brunet.

After a while, though, Iruka had come to accept the situation and supported Neji and Gaara's relationship, which had to be kept secret from Neji's uncle Hiashi. This led them to always hang about the house, making Neji seem like part of the family. He stayed over so much that Iruka had been forced to give him his own bedroom (_it would be __**unseemly**__ to have him sleep on the couch or, heaven forbid, __**share a room**__! _Iruka had said). Hiashi, thinking that Neji spent so much time at their house to visit his fiancé, Naruto, was pleased.

_God, what a mess we've landed ourselves into…_ Naruto thought, sighing loudly.

He was interrupted from any further ponderings, however, by the entrance of a maid. "Sirs, the Hyuugas have arrived."

Naruto instantly sprang to his feet, turning to meet Gaara's gaze. Naruto's blue eyes widened, seeing the way that, despite the fact that he tried to hide it, Gaara's teal-colored eyes shined with worry. _Ah, __**crap**_. _We're screwed…_

_---------- _**SAVAGE HEARTS - THE BEGINNING OF A LOVE STORY - _END_ **----------

So... How did you like it? Please drop me a line and tell me if it's worth continuing!

Also, how were the characters? Anyone horribly OOC? I will work my hardest to keep eveyone as IC as possible, considering it's an AU!


	2. The Beginning of an Engagement

Hello once again, all! Here comes the second chapter of Savage Hearts! Yeah, I am chugging right along with this one. I have high hopes that this one might actually be finished...

**Disclaimer: **Don't own _Naruto_, just borrowing the characters for a bit

**Warnings:** Yaoi of the NejiGaa, ItaNaru kind. Also in this chapter, I think a bit of language? But not really.

**Notes:** This story had a total of 212 hits and 191 visitors, and yet only TWO people reviewed. That's not very encouraging, guys... Thank you very much to the two of you who bothered to drop me a line. I love you!

KitsuneNaru: Haha, I prefer SasuNaru to ItaNaru myself, but don't worry! ItaNaru will feature prominently for a few chapters yet.

dragonfire04: Thank you very much for being my first reviewer! I'm glad you like the story. :)

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**---------- SAVAGE HEARTS - THE BEGINNING OF AN ENGAGEMENT ----------**

Naruto and Gaara had relocated to stand next to their uncle, Naruto on Iruka's left, Gaara on his right, with both of their hands clasped docilely behind their backs. Now they stood back and watched passively as the Hyuugas entered their family room, led dutifully by Mai, one of their three maids. Hiashi had brought quite a contingent with him, and Naruto was half-worried that they wouldn't all fit into the limited number of seats. They might have to relocate to the formal dining room, which could comfortably hold up to fifty people at a time, with plenty of space left over – a throw-back to a time when their father, as Hokage, needed to entertain his retainers, advisers and foreign dignitaries, all at the same time. But no, the procession of white-eyed guests finally ended, _thank God._ _I can't stand being in the dining room,_ Naruto thought_. It's way too stuffy._

Naruto counted twelve Hyuuga members standing around, waiting on Hiashi to make introductions. Of those twelve, Naruto only knew five: Hiashi, his two daughters, Hinata and Hanabi, his fiancé, Neji, and Miroku, one of the Hyuuga elders (he only knew this particular man due to accidentally breaking a vase in the Hyuuga Compound when he was younger, unfortunately in the old man's presence, leading to a _long_ lecture on the way proper young gentlemen should behave, and how, in _his_ days, boys weren't allowed to run amok within the home…).

Iruka cleared his throat. "Welcome, Hiashi-sama," the brunet said with a formal bow, "it is a pleasure to receive you and yours in our home." While Iruka's words were formal and rehearsed, his tone was genuinely warm. "Please, take a seat," he said, gesturing to the couches and armchairs scattered around the expansive room.

The Hyuugas bowed in return and settled down, only Hiashi and Neji staying upright. "The pleasure is ours, Iruka-san," Hiashi said, bowing his head and then extending his hand for a quick shake. "While this room is lovely," he started, white eyes flicking around the room in a quick once-over. If the warm yellow walls and cream-colored furniture weren't to his liking, his face did not reflect it. He merely continued, "I would prefer if we continued our business in the study, if you don't mind. This discussion should be private, don't you think?"

Naruto wanted so badly to laugh; he just barely managed to contain it, though through no small effort. _If you wanted it to be private, why the hell did you bring so many of your flunkies?_

Iruka seemed to share his sentiments, for Naruto's quick glance at his face showed a slight upturn of the brunet's lips. Iruka couldn't actually smile, of course, for Hiashi might interpret the act as mocking. "I agree completely, Hiashi-sama. If you would follow me, please…"

On the way out the door, Iruka paused and turned to the gray-haired maid standing quietly in the corner of the room. "Mai, could you please look after the Hyuugas? Bring them some refreshments while they wait." He didn't wait for confirmation; he just kept walking out the door. Mai could be trusted to comply with his orders – she had been working faithfully for the Namikaze family since he and Minato were young boys.

Out in the hallway, having almost reached the study that was situated near the rear of the house, the group was once again forced to stop – this time by the ringing of the doorbell. Iruka tilted his head, glancing questioningly at Hiashi. "I was not expecting any more company; were you, Hiashi-sama?"

The older Hyuuga shook his head in a negative, but the younger one nodded. Hiashi glanced at his nephew in surprise. "Who are you expecting, Neji-kun?"

Neji need not answer, for yet another maid had already answered the door, and the group was given a clear view of the visitor. It was Itachi Uchiha. The maid, with her small stature, was dwarfed by the tall man standing before her. "Please, do come in…" she said, standing aside. Itachi nodded at her and stepped inside the Namikaze-Uzumaki home, taking off his overcoat and handing it to the maid, who quickly hung it up and then made herself scarce.

Naruto gasped at Itachi's entrance, drawing everyone's attention. The blond teen blushed under the scrutiny. Shrugging it off, Hiashi turned back to Itachi, a small smile gracing his lips. "Ah, Itachi-kun, what a pleasant surprise. I did not know you were planning to come."

By this time, the tall Uchiha had reached the group. He bowed in respect before straightening and saying to Iruka, who he had never formally met, "Hello, I am Itachi Uchiha, Hiashi-sama's nephew. It's a pleasure to meet you, sir." Turning to his uncle, he replied, "Neji invited me, uncle. I could not pass up this opportunity," he said, quickly and discreetly meeting Naruto's gaze with his own heated stare, "to see his lovely fiancé in his own home."

Naruto looked down at the floor, hoping to hide his blazing cheeks. _How could he say that? God, I'm so embarrassed… But, __**oh**__, he called me __**lovely**__…_ Naruto was practically swooning. The love of his life was here, in his home, walking away from him… Wait, what? Naruto shook himself out of his daze, realizing belatedly that the group had started moving into the study while he was still in la-la land. _Crap_. He rushed to catch up, entering just a few paces behind Gaara, who threw him an amused glance. _Of course! He realized what was happening, but he didn't do anything to snap me out of it. Nice brother I have…_ Naruto thought, sending his twin a dark glare as he closed the door of the study behind himself.

Looking around the study, Naruto realized that everyone was already seated. His uncle was, of course, seated behind his desk, with Gaara seated in the chair next to him, which was usually reserved for Naruto, as was his right as heir. Hiashi was sitting in the chair placed directly across from Iruka's, with Neji sitting in the one to his left, next to the wall. Itachi was sitting in the chair to the right of Hiashi. …Meaning that the only chair left for Naruto to sit in was placed directly next to the Uchiha's. Naruto gulped. _I don't think I'm going to be able to concentrate very much during this meeting_. Especially considering the intense glances Itachi kept covertly sending him.

Once everyone was seated, Iruka cleared his throat. "Well, here we are…" he said, smoothing out an invisible crease in his pant leg, "about to finalize the marriage contract between Naruto and Neji-kun…" He cleared his throat again, causing Hiashi to raise an eyebrow at his suddenly nervous behavior. "If anyone has anything to say about it," he said, slowly reaching to take the contract from his bottom drawer, which was locked. He took his time opening it and drawing out the contract, "they should say it right now… Now is the time," he hinted, subtly glancing at both Naruto and Neji.

Naruto gulped, trying to gather his waning courage. He had just opened his mouth, bracing himself to speak, when – "Uncle!" Neji cried, interrupting. _Oh, thank God_, Naruto thought, leaning back into his chair, his pent-up breath releasing in an audible _whoosh_.

"Yes?" Hiashi asked, blinking at his nephew in surprise. As a Hyuuga, Neji had always been tightly controlled; hearing him speak so loudly was astonishing.

Neji drew in a deep breath, closing his white eyes before continuing quickly, "I don't wish to be married!"

Hiashi drew back, stunned. In the past four years of his engagement, Neji had never spoken a word against it. To do so now, when the marriage contract was about to be finalized, was unforgivable. "Neji!" Hiashi said loudly, "how could you do this? You are disgracing your father's memory, besmirching the Hyuuga name!"

Neji said nothing in his defense; he merely bowed his head and dropped his gaze to the floor in shame. He looked ready to take anything his uncle could dish out. Naruto couldn't let him do that. He couldn't, in good conscience, let Neji take all the blame. After all, Naruto did not want to get married to him either.

"Hiashi-sama…" Naruto said, leaning forward in his chair to look around Itachi at the Hyuuga clan's leader. "Please don't be mad at Neji. I do not wish to marry him either. We would never have worked out. Neji already has someone he loves, and I… I do as well," Naruto said, glancing at Itachi out of the corner of his eye. He noticed that Itachi's eyes had warmed up; his ever-present Sharingan had faded and he was left looking into deep black eyes. Naruto gasped quietly. He had never seen eyes so soft and beautiful, at least not directed at him.

Naruto was drawn back to the matter at hand when Hiashi stood from his chair, outraged. "I am sorry, Naruto-kun, but it does not matter if you love each other or not. We must uphold my late brother and your late father's wishes. We cannot forget their intentions to join our families just because they are no longer on this plane."

Neji stood as well, turning to meet his uncle head-on. "If it is the joining of the Hyuuga and Namikaze-Uzumaki families that you desire, uncle, then do not fear. I will marry a Namikaze-Uzumaki." Naruto turned to him, shocked. "Just not Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto-kun. I am in love with his younger brother, Gaara." Neji said all this with a straight face, only a light blush across his nose showing his discomfort. It had been a very painful admission to make – he had not spoken of his love for Gaara even in private. But desperate times called for desperate measures. "If he will have me," he said, looking towards the shell-shocked red-head, "I will be pleased to marry him and join our families."

The tension in the room was palpable, everyone looking towards the silent red-head, awaiting his decision. Gaara shrank back into his seat, wanting to hide from everyone's intense gaze. He, unlike Naruto, had never liked being the center of attention. _But_, he thought, _being __**his **__center of attention isn't so bad._ He looked back at Neji, who was still nervously awaiting his answer. _I guess this could work out. It might be a little sooner than I'd hoped, but this could __**definitely**__work out._

Smiling slightly, Gaara said, "Yes. I'll marry you."

**---------- SAVAGE HEARTS - THE BEGINNING OF AN ENGAGEMENT - END ----------**

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Yay, chapter two is done! How did y'all like it? I know it's much shorter than the first chapter, but it seemed like a good place to stop.

Please drop me a line! Reviews make me happy! ...And y'wanna know a secret? I only write when I'm happy! ;)


	3. The Beginning of a Courtship

Heya! Here I am again, coming at ya with Savage Hearts, chapter 3! I hope you enjoy! I particularly liked writing this chapter, or at least the end. The first half was giving me trouble XP

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Jack, and _Naruto _either! I'm just borrowing the characters for a bit...

**Warnings: **Major mentioning of NejiGaa and ItaNaru! This chapter is very relationship-focused

**Notes:** Thank you so much to those of you who reviewed! We went up by two, meaning last chapter got FOUR reviews out of 107 hits and 103 visitors! I'm happy.

Stargazer: :D back at ya!

Slashing Silk: Thanks for the long review, it was most helpful! I'm glad you think I've done a good job with the characterization; I was worried about how I was doing. And as for the ItaNaru vs SasuNaru, I personally prefer SasuNaru, even though Sasuke is being an annoying little B* in the manga! I'll work hard to keep doing a good job so that you won't regret reading a fic that will eventually be SasuNaru!

dragonfire04: Thanks for reviewing again! Sakura will come into the story next chapter, and Sasuke the one after that. Probably. I think... Actuallly, to be on the safe side, let's say that Sasuke will definitely be in the next next NEXT chapter.

xXMikomiUchihaXx: haha, I loved your review! Don't worry, the wedding is a long way off; you have time! And as for maid of honor - sorry, but as Gaara's twin, Naruto's got dibs on that position! You can be a bridesmaid, though. ;)

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**~ SAVAGE HEARTS - THE BEGINNING OF A COURTSHIP ~**

"Hell yeah!" Quite unexpectedly, Neji was the one who let out the loud yell, not Naruto. Everyone in the room turned to look at him curiously, causing poor Neji to blush deeply and then sheepishly lower the fist that he had raised in victory. The young Hyuuga cleared his throat, "Uh, I mean… that would be great. Thank you for accepting, Gaara-kun."

Naruto snorted. _Wow, these Hyuugas are even more uptight than I thought…_ He shared an amused glance with Iruka. _But I think it's cute that even Neji, with his general stick-in-the-mud attitude, couldn't contain his happiness at the thought of marrying Gaara. I'm glad._ Naruto looked fondly at his little brother, who was now holed up in a corner with Neji and Hiashi, no doubt discussing this shocking revelation – or, revelation for Hiashi, at least. Naruto was pretty sure everyone else in the room had known about Neji and Gaara's relationship previously, including Itachi.

And speaking of Itachi… Naruto tried to look at the Uchiha discreetly, out of the corner of his eyes, but failed miserably; he had never been good at being stealthy, no matter how hard he tried. Itachi, who had already been looking his way, caught Naruto's shy glance and smirked boldly, his deep black eyes twinkling in amusement. _Ah, crap,_ Naruto thought, immediately turning his flaming face away, looking at anything that _wasn't_ Itachi, _that definitely didn't go the way I planned._

"Naruto-kun…" Itachi's smooth baritone voice drawled, sending pleasant shivers racing down the blond teen's spine, "how are you holding up?" At Naruto's blank face (seeing as he was being directly addressed, Naruto couldn't continue to avoid meeting Itachi's gaze, no matter how much he wanted to – it would be incredibly rude), he continued, "I know you said that you didn't want to get married to Neji, but it must still be a shock to suddenly go from fiancé to future-brother-in-law…"

_Huh,_ Naruto thought, struggling to keep his face neutral but allowing himself an internal cock of the head, _I guess Itachi __**didn't **__know about Neji and Gaara... I was sure Neji would have told him, since they're cousins and all, or that Itachi would have noticed it on his own? No, he's certainly intelligent enough to have figured it out; he probably just thought I was okay with a loveless marriage. It wouldn't be the first time two people have been forced to marry just to create an alliance with another family._

"I'm fine, Uchiha-san-"

"Just Itachi, please, Naruto-kun," the older teen interjected, and Naruto stopped, nodding to acknowledge Itachi's request.

"Itachi-san, then," he corrected, a slight flush appearing on his cheeks. "I have known about Neji and Gaara's relationship since the start, and I've given them my full support. Neji and I had already discussed breaking off our engagement, but had not seen a way to do so, at least not in a manner that would please his uncle. Hiashi-sama's consent would be needed in order to legally break the contract, but since he's a real stickler for traditions… But I'm sure you already knew that, since he's your uncle and all…" Naruto said with an awkward chuckle, rubbing the back of his head – a nervous gesture he'd had since childhood and had never been able to break.

"Yes, my uncle _is_ rather concerned with following proper etiquette," Itachi said, chuckling softly. Naruto found the sound soothing; he found himself thinking, _I wouldn't mind hearing that for the rest of my life…_ "I can see how that might have been a problem."

Naruto smiled, "I'm just glad this whole engagement thing is over with. Gaara can deal with the hassle of being Neji's fiancé now."

The corners of Itachi's lips pulled up in a slight smile. He was amused at the younger teen's statement. "Are you trying to say that being engaged to _Neji-kun_ is a hassle, or being engaged at all?"

The blond blushed, realizing how that must have sounded. He quickly tried to backpedal. "Well, I didn't mean to imply that Neji is a horrible fiancé or anything like that! I just meant, well, that it really sucked to be engaged when I didn't want to be. I'm sure that once I'm engaged to someone I actually like, it won't seem so bad…"

Itachi leaned in, pushing into Naruto's personal space. "And who would you like to be engaged to, Naruto-kun?" he asked. Itachi's tone was soft, intimate, and it managed to draw Naruto in like a moth to a flame. The Uchiha's eyes helped to reel the blond in; they were still in their deep black shade, making Naruto feel as if he was sinking into a black abyss as he stared into them.

"Uh…" was all Naruto managed to utter in reply, still totally captivated by Itachi's eyes. Thankfully, the return of Hiashi, Neji and Gaara served to distract Itachi from his intense perusal of the blond. As soon as those eyes were drawn away, Naruto was finally free to draw a deep breath. For a moment, he had felt like he was dying, and with good reason – he had somehow forgotten how to breathe. _God, I hope he didn't notice that…_

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They were all back in the family room. Naruto was sitting on the only available couch between Iruka and Itachi, while Hiashi, Neji and Gaara were standing, facing the contingent of Hyuuga relatives. There were many curious looks being directed not only towards those standing, but also towards the silent blond. Obviously, the rest of the Hyuugas were confused by this development. Naruto honestly couldn't blame them. After all, it must be strange for the group, who had left to discuss Neji and Naruto'sengagement, to return with Neji and _Gaara_ standing close together, holding hands. Just because he couldn't blame them for their curiosity didn't make him any less uncomfortable under their inquiring stares, though.

"I would like to say," Hiashi said quietly but powerfully, instantly drawing all eyes back to him. Being the leader of the Hyuuga clan, Hiashi was an experienced public speaker who knew how to get everyone's attention whenever he wanted. "That what has happened here today was unexpected and unprecedented, but certainly not unwanted in any way. Neji-kun has expressed his love for someone other than Naruto-kun, his fiancé for the past four years. This love, a love which is accepted and returned, has swayed me to agree to break the marriage contract between Neji-kun and Naruto-kun…" Hiashi trailed off, giving everyone a moment for the news to sink in.

The rest of the Hyuugas nodded in acceptance, quite a few sending sympathetic, almost pitying, glances at Naruto, causing the blond teen to grit his teeth. _I don't need or __**want**__ your pity, assholes! Obviously I'm okay with this; I wouldn't be sitting here calmly if I wasn't…_

A hand on his knee drew his attention, distracting him from his momentary anger. _I'm fine, Iruka. You don't need to worry…_ Naruto thought, rolling his eyes. His eyes glanced at the pale hand gently placed on his leg fondly. _Wait… Pale? Iruka's skin is darker than mine!_ Naruto traced the hand up to where the wrist disappeared under a silky black sleeve, up the long, toned arm, over the broad shoulders, up a long neck, and finally met Itachi's warm black eyes. While there was concern in his gaze, Itachi's eyes also twinkled in amusement. _Why is he so amused? _Naruto wondered. _I was just looking at him? _Naruto's blue eyes widened as, in a moment of insight, he realized the cause of Itachi's hilarity. A deep blush graced his face as he thought, _Gah! I just gave him a totally obvious once-over! I practically raped him with my eyes! _

Naruto's mortification was not eased in the slightest when Itachi patted his knee, whispering, "It's fine, Naruto-kun. I know I can be quite a distraction." The proud Uchiha winked at the blushing blond, chuckling when his bold action caused the poor boy to blush a few shades darker.

"…agreed to allow Neji-kun and Gaara-kun's union. They will be married in October, following the plan initially set in place for Neji-kun and Naruto-kun's wedding. Hizashi and Yondaime-sama's last wishes to join our families together will be honored!" Hiashi finished forcefully, the rest of the Hyuugas lapping it up and clapping loudly for him.

_Huh?_ Naruto wondered, blinking at everyone's happy faces. _I guess Itachi really __**is**__ a distraction. I missed most of Hiashi's speech! _After a moment, Naruto shrugged, smiling widely at his younger brother, who had turned to smile and wave at him, contently wrapped in Neji's embrace. _Oh well! Hiashi is usually boring anyway and I had already heard most of it in the study…_

Naruto jumped up, heading over to the crowd gathering around the new couple. Naruto shoved his way through, people moving out of his way once they saw who it was. _I guess they think they need to be nice to the jilted brother,_ Naruto thought, snorting aloud. _Ah, well, whatever floats their boat. At least this way they're letting me get away with pushing them around._ Naruto's pushing quickly allowed him to reach the head of the line that had been formed by those wanting to congratulate the new couple and wish them well.

"Gaara!" Naruto yelled, glomping onto his younger brother enthusiastically. "You're gonna get married! To someone you actually like!" he added, laughing joyously.

Gaara rolled his teal-colored eyes but returned his brother's hug, a smile twitching onto his face despite himself. His brother, despite being the oldest, was much more childish and adorable. _But that's what makes him Naruto, I guess, _he thought, sharing a fond smile with his _**fiancé **_over Naruto's shoulder.

"Yes, I am, Naruto. And it's all thanks to you," Gaara said, squeezing his brother a bit more. Naruto winced (his brother, despite his lankiness, was freakishly strong), but hid it quickly. _What's a little pain in the face of such happiness?_

Neji placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder, causing him to separate from his brother and turn towards him. "No hard feelings right, Naruto-kun? I wouldn't wish for you to be unhappy – you're going to be my brother-in-law now," Neji said, his head tilted slightly, causing his long brown hair to cascade over his shoulder, contrasting nicely with his pearly white eyes.

_Wow, I think I can finally see what Gaara sees in him, _Naruto thought, grinning, _but no one can compare to Itachi!_ "Of course not, Neji! We've known from the start that it just wasn't meant to be. You've like Gaara since day one – and don't deny it," Naruto said, smiling at the way Neji tried to shake his head in the universal way of saying _no_. "Now that we're older, I can look back and tell that all your teasing and the way you were mean to poor Gaara was your deranged way of flirting."

Neji blushed, causing Gaara to laugh and move over to hug him. "Okay, maybe," Neji grudgingly admitted, "but at least I _did_ something about my crush, unlike _you_, who only followed Itachi-kun around like a little puppy." This time, both Neji and Gaara laughed at the way Naruto blushed. "And you're _still_ following him around like a puppy, aren't you? I think it's cute, if not a little exasperating. You should just take a chance and make your move." Looking over Naruto's shoulder, he smiled and said, "Oh, look at that! Here's your chance!"

Naruto turned his head to see that Itachi and Iruka were making their way towards them. He blushed. _Holy crap! I can't make a move on Itachi! He'd look at me like I'm a loser! _Naruto thought with a mental pout. _Compared to some of his fangirls, and even some of his fan__**boys**__, I'm nothing…_

Iruka and Itachi had finally reached them through the crowd of Hyuugas milling around, and Iruka instantly reached for both Gaara and Neji, pulling them into a tight hug. "Oh, I'm so happy for you two! I'm sure you will have a very long, happy marriage!" he said, beaming.

Once Iruka had finally let go of the two teens, Itachi moved forward, giving both of them a short, manly hug. "Congratulations Neji-kun, Gaara-kun. May you live long and prosper. I look forward to seeing how you deal with children, cousin," he said, smirking teasingly at Neji. His comment caused both Neji and Gaara to blush brightly, in turn causing Naruto and Iruka to let out loud peals of laughter.

Iruka moved towards Naruto, brushing a hand through his wild blond hair fondly. "Naruto," he said, his brown eyes shining brightly, "I have some good news."

Naruto tilted his head, his blue eyes turning instantly curious, and his wide, happy smile still present on his face. "What is it, Iruka?"

"Someone has asked to court you!" Iruka said, extremely excited. He was almost bouncing in place.

Naruto gasped. "Who?" The only people around were Hyuugas, and hadn't he just gotten out of an engagement with one of them?

"Me," Itachi said.

Naruto spun around, eyes wide as he gazed upon the Uchiha heir. "What?" he breathed, his heart pumping wildly. He was mildly worried that it might give him a heart attack.

Itachi smiled gently, stepping closer to the stunned blond to take both of his hands in one of his, bringing the other to cup Naruto's cheek. The blond unconsciously leaned into the touch, causing Itachi's smile to widen. "Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto-kun, would you do me the honor of allowing my courtship?" Itachi asked, stroking Naruto's cheek gently with the pad of his thumb.

Naruto felt dazed. This was like his wildest dream come true. He desperately wanted to pinch himself to confirm that this was reality, but he refrained; that would involve moving, and he had no intention of ever moving away from Itachi's warmth again. "Yes…"

**~ SAVAGE HEARTS - THE BEGINNING OF A COURTSHIP - _END_ ~**

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Yay, chapter 3 is finished! What did y'all think?

This chapter is a bit longer than chapter 2, but still a lot shorter than chapter 1. I don't have a set word length for my chapters; I just aim to make them interesting and a decent length... I hope I've reached my goal! ;)

Please leave a review!


	4. The Beginning of a Visit

Hey everybody! Here's chapter 4 of Savage Hearts! I must confess that Sasuke's appearance will be later than I had mentioned in the previous chapter. What's that? You wanna know why? Well, I'll tell you: this story is getting away from me! It's practically writing itself. More than half of this chapter was not in my plans at all... While that means it'll be a longer wait, it also means you get a longer, richer story. Hopefully that evens out?

**Disclaimer: **Nope, I don't own the _Naruto_ series. I'm just borrowing the characters for a bit

**Warnings: **Practically nothing! Very light mention of NejiGaa, ItaNaru, and -gasp- KakaIru (no, this was not planned at all. It snuck in there by itself)

**Notes: **Thank you very much for reviewing! I got another 4 reviews out of 109 hits and 102 visitors. Every time I opened my inbox and saw a review, it made me feel warm inside. I just hope it wasn't due to heartburn. XD

KoTenshi: Haha, you're the first person that's actually complained about the lack of SasuNaru. Most people who mention pairings want me to keep it ItaNaru... As for the ItaNaru intercourse, no it won't be happening. This story is rated T, and that would be WAY out of the T-zone. It might (read: most likely) happen once we get to the SasuNaru stage of the fic, in which case the rating will go up.

xXMikomiUchihaXx: Haha, it's ok that Sasuke plans ahead. Gaara and Naruto are twins. I don't think they'd mind sharing a bridesmaid. ;)

animeyaoimaster: Thanks for the reviews! You were quite a busy bee! I can't believe you managed to read and review almost ALL of my stories! You are epic. :)

stargazer: Haha, you're welcome.

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**~ SAVAGE HEARTS - THE BEGINNING OF A VISIT ~**

It had been three blissful weeks since Itachi had asked to court Naruto, making it the beginning of May. Iruka's 31st birthday was coming up on the 26th, and Naruto planned to make it the best birthday party Iruka had ever had.

When Minato had died, leaving the guardianship of his two young sons to his young cousin Iruka, his last living family member, the poor brunet had only been nineteen, barely a year over the legal age limit. Iruka had had to give up his own youth to devote his time to caring for Naruto and Gaara – his second cousins with whom he'd had contact maybe five or six times before Minato's death. The twins had been quite a handful at five years old, and Iruka had been completely out of his element, despite the fact that he was a teacher at the Academy. It was very difficult to go from teaching a classroom of kids for a few hours to having to deal with two rambunctious boys day in and day out. If it hadn't been for the help of the many maids, butlers, cooks, and other domestic servants in Minato's employ, Iruka would have been completely lost. He himself had been raised in a much less financially wealthy home, and he therefore had no idea how to run such a large estate or how to properly raise two mischievous young boys that were not only part of the nobility but also jinchurikis and sons of the late Yondaime Hokage.

He had done a good job, however, and Naruto felt that Iruka's hard work for the past twelve years deserved some recognition. _After all, _he thought, smiling wryly, _I wasn't the best-behaved of all children. I can't count the number of times Iruka was called down to the Academy for my 'problem behavior.' _Naruto snorted at the thought, scrunching his nose disdainfully, _that's such a lame name for my awesome pranks._

Naruto was currently sitting at the kitchen table, working on the guest list and seating arrangements for Iruka's birthday party. He was comfortably surrounded by the hustle and bustle that was created by the cooks preparing food around him; it was nearing lunchtime, and they had to work steadily in order to prepare enough food for not only the masters of the house, but also the many servants. It had been a long-standing tradition, started when Naruto was four years old, that the servants would all dine with Minato, Naruto and Gaara in the formal dining room. The tradition still stood even now, twelve years after Minato had passed away and his post as master of the estate had been filled by Iruka.

This had come about when, during one particular lunch, Naruto had glanced around the large room and asked his father, "Why do we have such a large table if there are only three of us eating?" (Of course, with Naruto being only four years old, it had not sounded quite that eloquent, especially with the lisp created by the gap in his teeth, but Naruto preferred to remember it as such.) Gaara had turned an expectant gaze on his father as well, and Minato, who was quite a push-over when it came to his children, had caved and asked the cooks to prepare more food for the next meal. Dinner that night had been livelier and much more entertaining, what with all of the servants talking loudly and excitedly, thrilled at eating with the masters of the house instead of at the servants' table. Seeing that his sons had lit up with glee at having more people to talk with, Minato had decreed that the servants would eat lunch and dinner with them from that day on. Only breakfast was kept family-only, and that was only because Minato preferred to work on important Hokage business during his morning meal, so there was an extra need for silence and privacy.

Unlike his father though, Naruto preferred to work with noise surrounding him. Over the years, the blond had found that trying to work in silence was a lost cause; his mind tended to become unfocused, babbling with random thoughts in order to fill the quiet, which would cause him to lose his concentration. In order to fix this and allow the boy to complete his Academy homework, Iruka had had him work in the kitchens, where there was always some activity going on. Naruto had grown used to it and now worked in the kitchen whenever possible, despite the fact that he and Gaara had been given their own comfortable studies when they had turned sixteen. The cooks no longer paid him any mind, deftly working around his seated form; they had given up hope of ever convincing the head-strong blond teen that it was inappropriate for a young lord to be hanging around the help. Naruto had been a steady presence and would probably continue to be so.

Now, however, Naruto found that he couldn't concentrate on his task, despite the fact that he was seated in his favorite chair and the cooks were making ramen as today's lunch, the delicious aroma of Naruto's favorite food wafting into his nose with every breath he took. This usually inspired him to finish his work faster – if he finished early, he could be the first in the dining room, meaning he was the first to be served – but today it wasn't working.

The blond teen sighed. _Damn Itachi! _Naruto thought, pouting. _He keeps popping up in my thoughts! I can't concentrate at all! Honestly, what does Madame Uchikada's seating have to do with Itachi's perfectly pale skin or his silky hair? I guess her last name is __**similar **__to_ _Itachi's, which brought him to mind, but… _Naruto released yet another sigh, gazing forlornly at the large diamond sparkling on his ring finger. _I guess I just miss him. He's been gone on that mission for a while now, so I haven't had a chance to see him. I had gotten so used to having him around that just being without him for a few days is absolute __**torture**__. Maybe I should go ask Baa-chan when he'll be back?_

By "asking," Naruto of course meant "bothering until she cracked and spilled the beans," and by "Baa-chan," he meant "Hokage-sama." Naruto, being the Yondaime's heir, was in line as a possible candidate for the position of Rokudaime Hokage, along with his brother Gaara (who didn't want the position, thank God! Having to fight against him for the title would have been horrible – and not just because Gaara was his brother, but also because, with Shukaku contained inside him, Gaara was tough to beat.), and the Sandaime's grandson, Konohamaru. This gave Naruto special privileges, which he abused mercilessly. Access to the Hokage tower and Tsunade, the Godaime Hokage's, personal reception room was one of them.

And so Naruto was off, barely taking the time to drop off his half-finished plans in his study before walking out the door to interrogate Tsunade as to the whereabouts of his, he gave an excited shiver, **fiancé**. He spared no thought to the fact that he would be missing lunch, which featured his absolute favorite meal, or even to the fact that Iruka had requested he stay in today. The thought of finally finding out when Itachi was coming home was much more important.

* * *

Iruka sighed, wringing his hands together as he stared down into his bowl of ramen, of which he had only taken a few bites despite the fact that, like Naruto, it was his favorite meal. He was sitting at the head of the large dining room table that was absolutely packed with chattering people, and yet he felt surrounded by silence and completely alone. Gaara's seat to his left was empty, as it often was these days, since the red-head spent practically all of his time at the Hyuuga Compound with his fiancé Neji. That didn't worry him. What had him distressed was the empty seat to his right – Naruto's seat.

The blond had, according to the cooks, left the mansion some time before lunch, without bothering to inform anyone of where he was going. Iruka was not _worried,_ per say, as he knew that Naruto was incredibly strong on his own – and that he had the Kyuubi's power as back-up, if needed – so there was a very small chance of anything untoward happening to him, but he still couldn't shake his nerves. Naruto was unpredictable and surprising, but he had always made a point of informing Iruka on what he was doing. Yes, he was nearing his majority, but Naruto was a good boy and he knew that Iruka had a bad habit of worrying over his charges.

_I just don't like not knowing where they are,_ Iruka thought, a bit defensively even though he was only thinking to himself. _Something could happen to them, and if I don't know where they are or where they're going, I won't know where to look for them… _

Iruka groaned quietly, picking up his chopsticks to stir the noodles of his ramen around in the cooling broth. _I sound like my mother. That's not good, is it? I hope I don't get gray hairs like she did._

Iruka was brought out of his thoughts by the loud clanging come from the direction of the front door. A butler quickly rose from his seat at the table and went to see who their visitor was. _Visitor… That reminds me of something… _Iruka's eyes widened. _Of course! That's why Naruto's absence has me so out of sorts. I specifically asked him not to go out today, since I was expecting a visit from-_

Iruka's thoughts were once again interrupted, this time by the entrance of a young lady into the dining room. The girl had pink hair (that she preferred to think of as _strawberry-blond_) that flowed down to below her shoulders in smooth waves, peaches-and-cream colored skin, and wide, pastel-green eyes. Her lips, which were painted a light red, widened as she smiled prettily at Iruka. Her dress, which was a light green color and featured a low, square-cut neckline (that revealed a lot of her bosom, Iruka noticed with an internal frown), swished around her ankles as she walked towards him.

Iruka stood and moved to meet her, opening his arms to envelop her in a gentle, welcoming hug. "Sakura-chan!" he cried, backing away a bit in order to meet her eyes. She was a bit shorter than him, but would probably be around the same height as Naruto and Gaara. "It's good to see you again. I haven't seen you since you were about six years old, I believe," Iruka said, seeing her smile and nod gracefully in acknowledgment. "It's such a shame it had to be at Minato's funeral."

Sakura Haruno was Naruto and Gaara's cousin. Unlike Iruka, though, she was related to the twins through their mother's side. Riku Uzumaki, Sakura's mother, had been Kushina's older sister. She had looked very similar to Kushina, if Iruka remembered correctly, with bright red hair and wide blue eyes. Riku had married Daisuke Haruno, a blond merchant in a nearby town, despite her parents' disapproval, which had caused her to be banished from the family. The Uzumakis, being a wealthy and noble clan, did not like the fact that Daisuke had been a civilian with no talent for chakra at all; allowing Riku to marry him would have dropped the family's ranking in society. Only Kushina, who was expecting her own sons by then, had been present for Sakura's birth on .

Iruka had first met the girl at Naruto and Gaara's first birthday party. Sakura, being about six months older than the twins, had already been toddling unsteadily around the room. Iruka, who was tasked with bringing the cake, had nearly run her over as he carried the large cake into the dining room. The only thing that had saved both the little pink-haired girl and the cake in his arms from certain disaster were the fast reflexes of Minato's student, Kakashi Hatake. The silver-haired man had quickly grabbed Iruka around the waist, giving the toddler time to move from the brunet's path, and, once the coast was clear, had returned the cake to the wide-eyed Iruka – he had grabbed it with the hand not wrapped around the brunet. Iruka still blushed every time he remembered that incident.

Clearing his throat and dispelling such thoughts, Iruka smiled at the girl who had grown into a fine young lady. "How have you been, Sakura-chan? After Minato's funeral you were sent away to finishing school, correct?"

Sakura smiled demurely and replied, "That's correct, Iruka-san. I have been away for many years now. I had planned to stay in Suna and pursue a teaching degree, but unfortunate circumstances forced my return…" Her voice trailed off and the girl's green eyes filled with tears.

Iruka, who had always been a softie, quickly wrapped his arms around her again. "Oh, Sakura-chan, what's wrong? Come, you can tell me in the study," he said, taking her elbow and leading her out of the room. He left many curious servants behind.

**~ SAVAGE HEARTS - THE BEGINNING OF A VISIT - _END _~**

* * *

Yay, I'm glad chapter 4 is done, even though I only got through half of what I'd planned for this chapter... Oh well! That just means that the next chapter will be easier for me to write!

Please leave a review!


	5. The Beginning of an Interest

Hello all! Here I am with Savage Hearts, chapter 5! You might be wondering why I'm updating so fast (so far, I've been updating every other day), and even if you're not, I'm gonna tell you anyway!

If I had stuck to my normal posting schedule, you would be getting an update on Friday and another on Sunday, but that's not gonna happen. Instead, I've decided to update today as well as tomorrow, to make up for the fact that I won't be posting anything until (hopefully) Tuesday of next week!

If you're wondering why this is, the answer is: it's time for our family's annual summer vacation into the middle of nowhere (where I do not have internet access!). We will be leaving on Saturday, and I hope that by Tuesday I'll find a way to post the next chapter. If I do not manage it, I promise to make the chapter longer!

**Disclaimer: **Nope, I don't own _Naruto_

**Warnings:** ItaNaru kissing! also **strong language**

**Notes: **This time I only received 2 reviews out of 118 hits and 113 visitors. How sad! T.T

stargazer: Thanks for the review! And if you already think Sakura's evil, you ain't seen nothing yet! ;)

shirookamiinu: This is going to be a long review, but I wanted to make sure I hit all the points you mentioned. **IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOLLOWS, EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS:**

It IS really good! And it's not actually the original. The first Corazon Salvaje was a book by Caridad Bravo Adams that was adapted into a film in 1956. The remake that inspired this story was the 1993 novela version starring Edith Gonzalez and the late Eduardo Palomo, that I actually didn't see until it was aired the second time in the United States in 2003. It's WAY better than the version that's airing now (on Univision, at 11 pm central time). I recommend you see that version - Eduardo Palomo was REALLY yummy in his shirtless scenes! ;)

But anyway, Itachi is NOT Juan del Diablo, he is actually Juan's half-brother Renato/Vidal (depending which version you're watching). The red-head you mentioned is Aimee, and she will be played by Sakura, not Gaara. The blond heroine Regina/Monica is being played by Naruto. Juan del Diablo will be played by Sasuke, making him Itachi's half-brother in this fic. Neji and Gaara are only featuring in this fic because I like them. They do not play any actual characters from the novela.

Again, I feel I must emphasize this: this story was INSPIRED by Corazon Salvaje - it is NOT a direct remake that just substitutes characters. This story WILL NOT follow the plotline of the novela exactly, but a lot of it will be SIMILAR.

Thank you for your time. You may carry on. :)

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**~ SAVAGE HEARTS - THE BEGINNING OF AN INTEREST ~**

"Baa-chaaaaan!" Naruto cried, bursting into Tsunade's office without any form of decorum. The door, despite being made of a heavy wood, bounced back from the wall due to the force Naruto used to throw it open, causing Naruto to shuffle into the room quickly in order to avoid it.

Tsunade, who had been sitting behind her large desk, working diligently (if not a bit slowly – she didn't _like_ to work) on her stack of paperwork, sighed and rolled her honey-brown eyes at his entrance. Throwing one of her blonde pigtails over her shoulder, she sat up straight and pinned the blond teen with a disapproving stare. "What do you want, Naruto, you brat? Can't you see I'm working?"

Naruto strolled further into the room, his arms crossed behind his head in a relaxed posture. He rolled his own eyes at her (causing Tsunade to bristle – she was the _Hokage_, damnit! She deserved some respect!), saying, "Pssh! We both know you'd take any excuse to avoid doing that stupid paperwork."

The blonde woman huffed, silently agreeing with him. Reading through all these documents, the majority of which documented petty grievances from the villagers, was incredibly boring. Naruto, being the most likely candidate as her successor, had already spent the past few months helping her out with said paperwork as part of his Hokage training. If anyone could relate to her frustrations about completing the staggering amount of paperwork that came as village leader, it was him.

"Be that as it may…" Tsunade drawled, "I do not appreciate having a stupid brat barge into my office any time he wants! What if someone was giving their _confidential_ mission report when you decided you felt like breaking my door down?"

"Breaking your door down!" Naruto sputtered, completely ignoring the reprimand and focusing on the only part of her statement that he could effectively argue against. "Your stupid door isn't broken, baa-chan! Man, your old age is finally affecting your eyesight, huh?"

Tsunade, despite looking like a young woman that was maybe in her late twenties, was actually in her late fifties. Naruto never passed up a chance to remind her of her age; it always got her to forget anything besides arguing with him. This might not sound like a good idea, especially considering Tsunade's super-human strength, but Naruto knew that she actually had a soft spot for him and enjoyed arguing with him – it gave her some stress relief. Besides, the Kyuubi could quickly fix any damage Tsunade might cause if he ever pissed her off too much.

"Damn Brat!" Tsunade scoffed, pretending to glare at the laughing teen. "What the hell do you want? You had better have a good reason to come bother me. I'm a busy woman!"

Naruto sobered surprisingly fast, reminded of his goal in coming to visit the Hokage. "Baa-chan! Have you heard from Itachi's ANBU team? Do you know when they're coming back?" the blond teen asked eagerly, hands clasped in front of his chest hopefully.

Tsunade snorted at seeing Naruto's expectant stance. _The brat's got it bad. Look at him; he looks like those fangirls he despises so much._ Smiling slightly at her favorite ninja, Tsunade said, "Yes, I've heard from Uchiha's team, and yes, I know when they're coming back."

Naruto's blue eyes widened, his body unconsciously leaning forward to hear the news better. After a few seconds of absolute silence, Naruto scowled at the (infuriating, exasperating, childish, Naruto's mental list could go on…) Hokage. "Well! Don't just sit there smiling all creepily, baa-chan! Tell me when he's coming back!"

"Creepily! Why you brat-!"

A soft chuckle from the direction of the doorway caught both of the blonds' attention, causing Tsunade to forget her ire (at least momentarily; with Naruto around, it was bound to come back.). Turning, both Naruto and Tsunade were surprised to find the aforementioned ANBU captain leaning against the wall directly next to the door.

"Itachi!" Naruto cried, sweeping his eyes up and down his fiancé's form, trying (and failing, for which he was extremely thankful) to find any wounds on the Uchiha's tall, pale body. Smiling at finding his future husband (_and isn't __**that**__ an exciting idea,_ Naruto thought giddily) in perfect health, Naruto said, "Okaeri, Itachi! I was just asking baa-chan when you were coming home."

Itachi, who had allowed his usual Sharingan to fade, smiled warmly at his blond fiancé, the affection and amusement clear in his deep black eyes. "Yes, I heard, Naruto-kun. You both have a good set of lungs." Itachi's casual statement caused both Naruto and Tsunade to blush.

_Damn brat,_ the blonde woman thought, slightly embarrassed. _He always gets himself into stupid situations, and just __**has**__ to bring everyone else with him._

Clearing her throat, Tsunade tried to sound formal, official, and proper (all of which she _was_, thank you very much), saying, "Uchiha-san, welcome back to Konoha. How was your mission?"

Itachi straightened up, walking forward to bow before Tsunade. "Everything went fine, Hokage-sama. There were no complications, and the mission was completed successfully. The details are in the mission report, which I have already turned in to the mission room."

Normally, Tsunade would ask for a full report (in order to get out of actually reading the written mission report), but a quick glance at Naruto – who was bouncing impatiently on the balls of his feet, giving her a good impression of a pathetic, kicked puppy – convinced her that perhaps it would be better to just get rid of the both of them as quickly as possible. "Very well," she said, still using her formal 'Hokage' voice, "you are dismissed, Uchiha-san. You have no missions lined up anytime soon, but as always, there is the possibility of an emergency mission requiring your skills. If that were to happen, I will send for you."

Itachi merely bowed while Naruto cheered. "Thanks, baa-chan!" he said, beaming at her happily.

A smile tugged at Tsunade's mouth, despite the fact that she wanted to remain stern. "Get out of here, brat!"

* * *

Back at the Namikaze-Uzumaki mansion, Iruka sat behind his desk, staring contemplatively at the twins' pink-haired cousin, Sakura Haruno. After handing her several handkerchiefs, her tears had finally stopped. "Are you ready to tell me what's wrong now, Sakura-chan?" Iruka asked gently, wanting to know but not wanting to pressure her unnecessarily. It was obviously bad news, at least judging by the copious amount of tears she had shed.

Sakura gave a final sniff, wiping her eyes with a kerchief delicately. Her eyes were now slightly red-rimmed. "I had just finished my schooling at the Suna boarding school, and I was looking for a place to stay while I tried to get my teaching certification, when I received a message from home. It said that my parents had been in an accident – their carriage had gone off the road when one of the horses spooked. My father was killed instantly, and my mother was left in critical condition. I of course headed home immediately, but my mother had already passed by the time I reached the hospital. Being their only child, they left everything to me, but we didn't have much money – I had to use it all to pay for their funerals and to pay off any debts that were left behind. The only thing I have left is the house, but I have no money remaining with which to run it properly. I couldn't pay the servants, so I had to ask them all to leave. I don't know what to do, Iruka-san!" Sakura cried, looking at Iruka with beseeching green eyes.

Iruka was stunned by her tale; he had not expected the news to be so grave. He had not heard of Riku and Daisuke's passing at all, which was strange, but he supposed the Uzumakis could have hushed it up. After all, they had done so before. When Kushina passed, giving birth to bastard children (for she and Minato had not been married at the time), they had managed to keep it quiet, despite the fact that she was Minato, the Yondaime Hokage's, live-in lover.

"I am so sorry for your loss, Sakura-chan," Iruka said, his tone soft and somber. He reached across the desk and covered one of Sakura's pale hands with his own, giving it a few gentle pats. "You don't have to worry about a thing; I'll take care of everything. If you'd like, you can stay here permanently – we have more than enough room – and that way you don't have to worry about the upkeep of the house. In fact, if you'd like, we can sell off the property and leave the money as your dowry. I imagine that's gone, too?" he asked, raising a questioning eyebrow.

Sakura nodded. "Yes, Iruka-san. Everything is gone; every last cent."

"Well then, that's what we'll do, if you don't have any objections." Seeing that Sakura shook her head _no_, Iruka continued, "After all, it is traditionally the woman's family that provides the dowry. As much as I'd like to provide it for you and let you keep the house, I simply can't. We are, technically, not family. Not even Naruto and Gaara are your family – since your mother was disowned, she is not legally recognized as an Uzumaki. It's unfortunate that Daisuke was an orphan, or else you'd at least have his family to back you," Iruka said sadly. This poor young girl was truly alone in the world. _According to the law, at least,_ Iruka thought, upset at the injustices of the world they lived in. _But I won't let that get in my way! _

"No matter what anyone says, you're family now, Sakura-chan!" Iruka cried, grabbing her hand. "From now on, I promise that I will always take care of you as if you were my own daughter!"

Iruka, too caught up in his own impassioned thoughts, barely saw the pink-haired girl bow her head, hiding her face behind a curtain of long hair. He therefore missed the satisfied smirk that appeared on the otherwise beautiful, gentle-looking face.

* * *

Naruto and Itachi had just reached Naruto's home after a hearty meal of ramen for Naruto and onigiri with seaweed in it for Itachi. Before going in (and after telling the steward not to announce their arrival), Naruto glanced at Itachi nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Itachi…" he started, biting his lip, which of course drew the Uchiha's sharp gaze to the area, which then caused Naruto to blush (for they had kissed only a handful of times in the three weeks of their courtship, meaning he was still not over his nerves about that kind of intimacy).

Shaking his head, Naruto decided to ignore the warmth that had appeared low in his stomach. He had to get this out! "Um, Itachi… Don't be surprised if Iruka is mad, okay?"

Itachi, finally focusing on the blond's words instead of his delightfully blushing face, asked amusedly, "What have you done now, Naruto-kun?"

"Nothing bad!" Naruto said quickly, not wanting Itachi to think that he was still pulling the immature pranks he had been notorious for in his youth. The blond teen fiddled with the hem of his trademark orange shirt, trying to find a way to say this without causing Itachi to laugh at him. He ended up finally saying, "I wasn't supposed to go out today. Iruka specifically said that I had to stay home, but obviously, I didn't listen…"

Itachi let out one of his quiet chuckles. (_FAIL!_ Naruto thought sadly, pouting mentally.)

"Don't pout so, Naruto-kun," Itachi said, gently tracing the blond's bottom lip with the soft pad of his thumb. (_I guess it wasn't just mentally,_ Naruto thought, sweat-dropping.) "I find your unpredictability incredibly appealing," the Uchiha continued, smirking down at his now-blushing fiancé before swooping down to give him a gentle kiss.

"Mmm," Naruto hummed, eyes still closed even after Itachi had pulled away. "I missed you."

Itachi smiled gently at his little blond. "And I you, Naruto-kun," he said, wrapping an arm around Naruto's waist. "Now, come. Let's go in. I doubt it's a good idea to keep Iruka-san waiting."

* * *

Iruka had given Sakura a thorough tour of the Namikaze-Uzumaki mansion, introducing her to the help whenever they came upon them. For some reason, the brunet felt the need to be _friendly_ to the servants, and so Sakura had been forced to smile kindly at them and shake their hands whenever they were introduced. _Which reminds me, _Sakura thought, flipping a strand of her long strawberry-blond hair over her shoulder, _I need to remember to wash my hands as soon as I'm shown to my room… Who knows what those people have touched?_

They were now standing in the foyer, surrounded by servants and Sakura's bags. Iruka, upon seeing the amount of luggage Sakura had brought on what was supposed to be a mere visit, had gasped and put a hand over his heart, exclaiming a loud, "Oh my!" before quickly calling for help. Sakura was secretly repulsed at the brunet's actions. She had never met a more flamboyant man; if Iruka wasn't gay then she wasn't beautiful (and Sakura was quite sure she was).

"I'm sorry for the trouble, Iruka-san," Sakura demurred, "I am not used to packing lightly. I always had to carry everything between my home and my room at the boarding school. Unlike many of my classmates, my parents did not have enough money to buy me two of everything…"

Iruka instantly looked contrite. "Oh, Sakura-chan, don't worry about it! I'm sure the servants can handle taking everything up to your room," he said, throwing a slightly doubtful look at one certain servant who seemed like he was going to topple backwards off the staircase due to the weight of the bag he was carrying.

Sakura, seeing where he was looking, discreetly rolled her eyes. _Is it __**my**__ fault the man is weak? I think not!_

"So, Iruka-san," Sakura said, making her eyes wide and her tone curious, "where are my cousins, Naruto-kun and Gaara-kun?"

Iruka lit up at the mention of the two teens, which caused the pink-haired girl to narrow her eyes. _He really likes them, huh?_ she thought, making sure her face remained neutral. _We'll just have to change that, now won't we?_

"Gaara is over at the Hyuuga Compound, visiting his fiancé, Neji-kun," Iruka said, causing Sakura to widen her eyes, this time for real. _Gaara is engaged to a man?_ She hadn't known that. As far as she knew, _Naruto_ was the one that was engaged to a male Hyuuga.

"Gaara-kun, Iruka-san?" Sakura asked, making sure her voice carried only simple curiosity and none of the underlying disgust she felt at the thought of two males together. "I thought Naruto-kun was the one engaged since childhood."

Iruka nodded, sighing at the memory of the trying ordeal they had gone through in order to change that. "Yes, Sakura-chan, Naruto was the one engaged to Neji-kun, but the engagement between them was broken when Neji-kun and Gaara fell in love. They have been engaged to each other for three weeks now."

Sakura wanted to laugh out loud, but settled for scoffing internally. _Love_, she thought, with a mental sneer, _what a joke! The only things that are important in this world are money and power, and looks don't hurt. Who needs __**love**__?_

On the outside, though, Sakura smiled sweetly and replied, "That's wonderful, Iruka-san."

Iruka smiled back at her. "Yes, it is, isn't it? Naruto is on his own way to happiness, as well."

Sakura cocked her head, in a way she knew made her seem cute and innocent, her hair spilling prettily over her shoulder. "Oh?" she asked, interested despite herself. "Why do you say that?"

"Because he-" Iruka was interrupted when the front door was thrown open, causing it to slam against the wall. Iruka turned, fire in his eyes. "Naruto, what have I told you about that door?"

The blond teen laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Oops! Sorry, Iruka! I forget my own strength!"

Sakura ignored this little family dispute, focusing on the man that had entered beside her silly twit of a cousin. He was gorgeous! He had long, silky black hair, beautifully pale skin, and deep dark eyes. She could easily tell that he was both wealthy _and_ powerful – under his ANBU uniform, he wore clothes made of nice, pricey fabric, and the two rings he wore were obviously valuable. Best of all, he was part of a clan family! One of the rings he wore had a crest, something only the oldest clans could boast. Unfortunately, the distance didn't allow her to see what clan he hailed from, but it didn't really matter. He was rich and titled – the two things it took to grab her interest.

_Yes, _Sakura thought, green eyes glinting in fierce determination, _you will be mine!_

**~ SAVAGE HEARTS - THE BEGINNING OF AN INTEREST - _END_ ~**

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Okay, chapter 5 finished! Tell me what you think of Sakura? Do you think I made her too evil too fast?

Please leave a review!


	6. The Beginning of a Trick

Hello all! As I said yesterday, here I am again with Savage Hearts, chapter 6! Remember, no updates till Tuesday (hopefully)!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the _Naruto_ series

**Warnings: **ItaNaru and -gags- **ItaSaku**! (Now aren't y'all glad this is still rated T? I don't think I'd ever be able to write a decent het scene anyway...) Also **very strong language!**

**Notes: **Again only 2 reviews, out of 140 hits and 130 visitors. Please REVIEW, everyone! Also, I noticed that there were no stats available for Tuesday (May 25). Does anyone know why that is?

KitsuneNaru: Yes, Sakura IS quite evil and manipulative in this fic, isn't she? Haha, my bad. And as to how Itachi can "fall" for her, you'll find out! ;)

shirookamiinu: Me too! Most of my stories are very dramatic... Which is strange, I think, since I usually avoid overly dramatic shows...

Please ENJOY this very dramatic chapter everyone!

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**~ SAVAGE HEARTS - THE BEGINNING OF A TRICK ~**

Iruka, after giving Naruto a strong cuff to the back of his spiky blond head ("OW!" Naruto said, pretending to nurse his head in pain), turned to Sakura and smiled brightly. "Sakura-chan! Let me introduce you!" He pulled her forward excitedly, displaying her to both Naruto and Itachi. "Naruto, Itachi-san, this is Sakura Haruno! Naruto and Gaara's cousin," he added, for both of their benefits, seeing as Naruto had a blank look on his face, clearly not recalling meeting her before. "Naruto, I'm guessing you don't remember her. It's understandable; you haven't seen her since you were five years old."

Naruto made an "oh" shape with his mouth, still looking over his pink-haired cousin. _You'd think I'd remember that hair! _Naruto thought, amused. _It's certainly unique! _Shaking his head to get rid of such thoughts, he gave her one of his blinding smiles. She returned it with a small one of her own, her painted red lips barely curling upwards. Naruto shrugged it off. _She must be shy, like Hinata-chan! She seems nice enough._

Itachi moved forward, away from the door, and the movement caught Iruka's eyes. "Ah, yes! Sakura-chan, you remember Naruto, but I'm sure you've never met Itachi-san!" Iruka said, patting Sakura's shoulder. He motioned to the dark-haired young man, "This is Itachi Uchiha, the heir to the Uchiha clan."

Sakura clasped her hands in front of herself, bowing her head, which caused her strawberry-blond hair to swirl around her. "It is very nice to meet you, Uchiha-san," she said demurely, glancing up at him through her long eyelashes in a coy look that she knew first-hand made her seem appealing and yet innocent.

Itachi stared down at the newcomer. Itachi, while usually preferring the company of males, had no trouble appreciating the soft beauty of the female form. This particular female had a very pleasant-looking form. The pink-haired young woman had curves in all the right places, all of which were proudly displayed by her form-fitting, low-cut light green dress, and had delicate, soft-looking skin, a very well-done face (for of course Itachi noticed the use of cosmetics; nothing could fool Uchiha eyes), as well as pretty pale green eyes.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Sakura-chan," he said, taking one of her small hands (he was right; they _were_ soft.) in one of his own, bringing it up to his lips for a kiss.

A delicate blush graced Sakura's face, and a light giggle escaped her. "The pleasure is all mine, I assure you, Uchiha-san," she said, twirling a lock of her hair around her finger once Itachi released her hand.

The way he had looked her over had not escaped her, despite the fact that she'd been pretending to look down towards the floor shyly. _Yes, he will do nicely, _she thought, smirking inwardly._ The heir to the Uchiha clan… _Sakura had, of course, heard of the great power and prestige of this clan; they were one of the oldest in Konoha. _I will soon be Mrs. Itachi Uchiha!_

Naruto, while usually oblivious to most things going on around him, had noticed the looks his cousin was sending _his _fiancé. Narrowing his eyes, he moved closer to Itachi's side, grabbing the man's arm. "Sakura-chan!" he said, smiling at her widely. "Has Iruka told you? Itachi is my fiancé! Isn't that great?"

Itachi, never one to like being crowded (as it reminded him of his younger days, back when he was constantly stalked and glomped by his fangirls in the Academy), smoothly extracted his arm from Naruto's grasp. "That's right," he said, looking in Sakura's direction while he ran a comforting hand through Naruto's short blond locks. He was trying to use the gentle gesture to make up for hurting Naruto's feelings (which had been obvious, as Naruto had pouted up at him immediately after he'd moved away). "I have been courting Naruto-kun for the past month."

Sakura's eyes flashed. Her stupid cousin had already ensnared her future husband! _Well, we'll see about that! _Sakura thought, faking an outward smile when all she really wanted to do was snarl and throw things at her moron of a cousin. There was only one thing that kept her from lashing out: she had noticed the way Itachi moved away from Naruto. Not everything was perfect in paradise. And, if there was something Sakura was good at, it was at noticing small details and using them to her advantage. _I still have a chance. I __**will **__be the next Lady Uchiha!_

* * *

Sakura had now been a resident of the Namikaze-Uzumaki mansion for three weeks. Iruka's birthday was now only four days away, and so Naruto was rushing all over the place, trying to make things perfect. Itachi, who was a regular visitor at the mansion, had often been left alone. Sakura had, of course, snatched this opening, spending time with and entertaining the Uchiha heir, as a _polite_ host should. (She had been steadily dropping such hints; Sakura would do a much better job as Lady Uchiha than her stupid cousin!)

Itachi seemed amused by her efforts, but was not responding as she wished. Despite wearing very low-cut, revealing dresses, despite doing her hair and make-up perfectly (which took her personal maid hours – the woman was such a slowpoke!), and despite the fact that she was more-or-less subtly throwing herself at him (by making a point of tripping in front of him in order to have him catch her in his arms – "Oh, I'm so sorry, Uchiha-san!" she'd say, giggling and blushing, "I'm such a klutz!"), the Uchiha had not made a move.

Sakura let out an exasperated huff. It was currently well past sunset, and she still sat before her armoire, looking at herself in the mirror and yet not really seeing anything. She was, instead, thinking of her failings as she brushed her hair – the repetitive action helped to release some of her built-up tension.

She had no idea what to do in order to entice the Uchiha into action. The men she'd gone after before had never resisted her for so long – not even the married men! Itachi had only been engaged to her cousin for less than two months! She just didn't understand. He was obviously interested – the appreciative gazes he ran over her body when she wore a revealing outfit came to mind, causing her to shiver excitedly – but he just wasn't acting on his interest!

Sakura's pretty face formed a scowl. She'd have to bring out the big guns.

She reached deep into one of her drawers, having to move things around until she reached her goal. Her long delicate fingers withdrew from the dark depths of the drawer and placed her secret weapon on the polished wood surface of her armoire.

While most people were led to believe that she wanted to be an innocent school teacher, Sakura had actually been training with an herbalist after school hours. One trick she had picked up during her apprenticeship was more useful than the others – the power to induce incredibly strong feelings of lust in any man, all by placing a single pinch of dried herbs in her victim's drink.

Sakura held up the little bag containing those same dried herbs, her fingers caressing the velvet drawstring bag lovingly. This lovely little aphrodisiac would get her everything she wanted.

Sakura's scowl transformed into a satisfied smile. Itachi stood no hope of resisting her now.

* * *

The day of May 26th came faster than Naruto had hoped. _But_, he thought, glancing around at the brightly decorated dining room, _everything is set. This will be the best birthday party Iruka's ever had, 'tebayo!_

Smiling brightly at no one, Naruto bound out of the room to go to the kitchen, wanting to oversee the final dinner preparations.

A few hours later, Naruto was pushed out of the kitchen by the cooks. He had yet to change into his party clothes, and six o'clock, the time the party was set to start, was nearing rapidly.

"Okay, okay!" Naruto cried, stepping away from the entrance to the kitchen, which was being blocked by a contingent of frowning cooks. "I'll go get ready! Sheesh, it's not like I'm a girl!" he whined at them, pouting cutely. But, seeing their unchanging faces, he bowed his head and gave in. "I can totally be ready in ten minutes…" Naruto muttered, walking away towards the stairs.

* * *

The hands of the large clock in the dining room were nearing twelve o'clock and yet the party was still in full swing. Naruto, seeing that Iruka was having so much fun, didn't have the heart to remind everyone that the party was supposed to end at midnight.

"I guess I'll just have to go tell the cooks to keep the food and drinks coming," Naruto said, rolling up the sleeves of his long-sleeved formal orange shirt to his elbows. His mind briefly wondered as to the possible resting place of the jacket he had been wearing at the beginning of the evening, but he quickly discarded the thought. One of the servants would have seen it and picked it up for him – they always did.

Reaching the door that led to the kitchens, Naruto was surprised to see no light shining out into the dim hallway from the gaps between the door and the frame. _Could they have gone home?_ Naruto wondered, curious. _They usually stay until either Iruka or I tell them to leave_ (Gaara didn't concern himself with household matters – he left that to his brother and uncle).

Naruto was just about to turn back to tell the partygoers that the party had come to an end – for what was a party without food and drinks? – when he heard a noise coming from the kitchen. _So there __**is **__someone in there! _Naruto thought, surprised. _But why are they working in the dark? Did the light go out? _the blond teen wondered, moving closer. _But then, if that's the case, why didn't they just find a replacement?_

Naruto opened the door and stepped quietly into the kitchen, using his hard-earned ninja stealth. His mind had brought up the possibility of it being a thief – although what would someone steal from the kitchen? – or maybe some kind of wild animal. Reaching out to where he remembered the light switch to be, Naruto flicked it on. Light instantly flooded the kitchen.

Naruto wished it hadn't.

There, pinned to the far wall with her dress up around her hips and her underwear mysteriously missing, was his pink-haired cousin, Sakura. The worst part, though – the part that made Naruto feel like his heart was being torn from his chest and then thoroughly shredded – was that the person who had her pinned was none other than his fiancé, Itachi Uchiha.

Naruto screwed his eyes closed, hoping against hope that when he opened his eyes again, the image would be gone.

It wasn't.

The only thing that had changed was the fact that, instead of facing each other, the two guilty parties were now facing him. Itachi had a slightly surprised look on his face, but – Naruto's heart clenched – no remorse was clearly visible. Sakura, _that fucking bitch,_ was simply looking at him with gleeful eyes, clearly not bothered at all at having been caught in such a compromising situation with Naruto's own fiancé.

Naruto felt his rage swelling, his chakra rising to dangerous levels. This sudden change made the red chakra of the Kyuubi contained inside him stir in interest. **What is happening, boy? **Kyuubi rumbled. **Are we in battle? **

When he received no reply, the demon peered out through Naruto's eyes. What he saw made his eyes narrow dangerously. His kit's intended mate was mating with some other bitch – which was completely unacceptable!

**Treachery! **Kyuubi roared, his tails lashing against the bars of his cage. **Kill him! Kill them both! Kill them NOW!**

With Kyuubi's anger spurring his own, Naruto was across the room in a flash, grabbing Itachi by the back of his rumpled coat and throwing him away from the suddenly pale Sakura. The pink-haired girl was no longer gleeful – no, now she was petrified. Naruto was glaring down at her crumpled form with _red_ eyes, his elongated fangs peeking out from his sneering lips.

"N-Naruto," she stammered, raising her hands in front of her as a feeble defense.

"Shut up bitch!" Naruto roared, lifting her up from the floor by the hand – which had _claws_, Sakura noted, completely terrified – that was fisted in her hair. The blond ignored her squeal of pain, lifting her up until he was sneering directly into her frightened face, which was by now covered in tears. "You're going to wish you never laid eyes on what was _mine_!"

Naruto shifted his grip from her hair to her neck, his claws puncturing the delicate skin, causing thin rivulets of blood to run down and stain Sakura's pink gown. Naruto's other clawed hand was racing down, about to put the miserable wench out of her misery, when Naruto was suddenly ripped away from the pink-haired bitch by a large hand made out of sand.

Naruto roared in anger, echoed in his mind by Kyuubi. **Who DARES interrupt our rightful kill?**

Naruto's red eyes locked onto his brother's, whose own eyes were glowing a sickly yellow, proof that he was using Shukaku's power as well. "Gaara!" he snarled, glaring at his younger brother. "Let me go! She deserves to die! They _both_ do!" the distressed blond cried, throwing a hateful glance at Itachi's slumped form. He had hit a wall with considerable force when Naruto threw him away from Sakura, knocking him out.

"No," Gaara said calmly, his voice not reflecting any of the emotions he was currently feeling. He was on the other end of the spectrum from Iruka, who was leaning against the doorjamb, crying. Obviously, Gaara wasn't the only one who had realized what had happened. Looking around the kitchen, it was pretty easy to see.

Itachi was unconscious; his fly was open and his 'little buddy' was spilling out. Sakura was curled into a little ball, crying her eyes out with her dress all out of sorts. And, worst of all, Naruto was raging around, wanting to kill them both. All of this pointed towards an illicit affair between Sakura and Itachi that had been unfortunately discovered by Naruto.

Iruka, gathering himself, stepped forward to help Sakura to her feet.

She stood up shakily, sniffling pathetically. "Oh, Iruka-san, it was horrible!" she cried, her voice wobbly but strong. "Naruto, he's gone crazy!" Sakura said, pointing at the still-struggling blond caught in Gaara's sand. "He tried to k-"

**SLAP**

All movement in the kitchen stopped at the loud sound of flesh hitting flesh. Even Naruto stopped his struggles to get free.

Sakura, green eyes wide, clutched at her stinging cheek.

Iruka was standing with his palm still in the air, glaring at her. "Sakura-chan," he said, his voice coming out as a controlled growl. "I can't believe you would do this to Naruto. He is your cousin!"

When it looked like Sakura was going to speak, Iruka cut her off. "No, there is absolutely no excuse for what you have done. Unfortunately, since other people have seen what has happened," he continued, eyes glancing mournfully at the open door, through which shadows could be seen in the hallway – obviously partygoers just waiting to see and hear more juicy gossip, "you will have to be married off to Itachi-san as quickly as possible."

Iruka hated to do this – it was obviously what Sakura had wanted in the first place, if she was willing to sleep with Itachi while he was already engaged – but he had no choice. Their engagement would have to be announced quickly in order to avoid as much public scrutiny as possible. He could not allow their family name to be dragged through the mud due to Sakura's foolishness.

_I will have to deal with Naruto at another time_, Iruka thought, glancing pityingly at the disillusioned blond teen.

* * *

Naruto had given up the fight. Now, instead of fighting against the hold of the sand, he let it support him as he slumped in despair, crying silent tears.

_I just want to get out of here,_ Naruto thought, putting all his efforts into suppressing his sobs – it wouldn't do to give the crowd any more ammunition. _I can feel them all watching me, pitying me. I __**hate **__being pitied!_

Kyuubi, being able to listen to his host's thoughts, rumbled in agreement. **Then I will help you, kit.**

Naruto closed his eyes, trying to stem the flow of tears. With his hands bound to his side, he had no way to wipe them from his face. _How? _the blond teen asked._ Gaara won't be letting me go anytime soon._

**Use the transportation jutsu. Get up to your room and pack your belongings, then go to the Hokage and complete your training. That should take at least a couple of weeks.**

_I wish I could, _Naruto replied, _but no one can travel like that within the house, remember?_

Kyuubi snorted. **Those wards were created with human chakra in mind. Use mine.**

Naruto considered it. Kyuubi's plan sounded plausible, and really, what could it hurt? He was already humiliated enough for a lifetime; one more possible failure wouldn't change things.

Closing his eyes, Naruto disappeared with a flash of red chakra.

**~ SAVAGE HEARTS - THE BEGINNING OF A TRICK - _END _~**

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Haha, how did y'all like that? Very dramatic, if I do say so myself...

Please review!


	7. The Beginning of the End

Hello everybody! I somehow managed to post chapter 7 earlier than promised! This chapter is a bit shorter than the others have been, and I feel like it's not quite up to my usual standards, but... it's early! I hope that makes up for its lameness, at least a little!

**Disclaimer: **Nope, don't own _Naruto!_

**Warnings: **None for this chapter...

**Notes: **Wow! I was blown away by the response I got for the last chapter! **11** reviews out of 176 hits and 148 visitors! You guys rock!

KitsuneNaru: Don't worry! Sakura will get hers eventually! I can't promise anything right now, since she's still important for the overall plot, but... soon!

Vitwo: Thanks for reviewing twice! And as for Gaara preventing Sakura's death... I can't have my main villain die too soon, now can I? ;)

DiYella-Sama: Thanks for saying my story is different from Phantomsnow's! I'd been worried that some similarities might creep up on me...

Durkheim: Thanks for the review! And your wish (or at least half of it) will be answered in this chapter!

geetac: Thanks for the review!

KoTenshi: Haha, I hope I haven't made Itachi seem TOO bad in this fic. Most of the evilness comes from Sakura ;)

deepsapphiresoul: I totally agree with you! I love the soundtrack for this version - but that might just be because it's more modern :)

shirookamiinu: You'll get to see SOME of Itachi's reaction in this chapter. Unfortunately, they still don't know (yet) that Sakura forced him into it. And yes, I know what you mean! Yanez is WAY too big to be hot (for me, at least!) and his facial structure isn't appealing at all! And yes, Renato IS cute. He's my favorite XD

takuya: I've updated! Thanks for the review!

Haha, wow that took a long time. I don't mind, though! Please keep the reviews coming!

Now, please enjoy this (short) chapter!

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**~ SAVAGE HEARTS - THE BEGINNING OF THE END ~**

Itachi awoke to a pounding headache. He was lying on a soft, comfortable bed, but it was not his own. He could tell there were three people in his immediate surroundings (which, judging by the presence of the bed, would be a bedroom), and many more a bit further away – his excellent chakra detection told him so. He could also tell that none of the people in the room meant him any harm, although there was a strong feeling of tension hanging in the air.

Most importantly, though, Itachi had a huge headache.

With a soft groan that he hoped conveyed to those around him how utterly _crappy_ he felt at the moment, he finally deemed himself ready to face the world. Itachi opened his eyes only the slightest bit, sitting up slowly and coming to rest against the headboard, using the many pillows on the bed as a support for his back. He could feel unpleasantly warm rays of sun streaming onto his face and did _not_ want to face such a strong light so early in the day.

"Could someone close the blinds?"

After a short pause, one of the three figures moved to comply with his request. By the soft _swish_-_swish_ sound that accompanied the person's movement, Itachi guessed that it was a woman wearing a long dress. When all the blinds were finally closed and the pesky sunlight was blocked, Itachi let out a sigh of relief and opened his eyes fully. The dim lighting in the room was comfortable, and Itachi had no problem distinguishing the features of his guests due to his sharp eyes.

"Iruka-san, Gaara-kun," he greeted, giving them each a respectful nod. He ignored the fact that neither male returned the polite gesture (Gaara was immobile and Iruka merely pursed his lips into a tight white line), and turned to greet the female in the room. "Mother, you're here too! What is going on?"

Ayako Uchiha, Itachi's mother, did not answer immediately. Instead, she raked her eyes over her son's form, looking for injuries. She had been summoned to the Namikaze-Uzumaki residence late last night (or was it early this morning?) by a messenger that said she had to attend to an "unfortunate event that transpired during the celebration," an event that needed her immediate attention. She had hurried over as quickly as possible, worried for the safety and welfare of her only son, her precious heir, Itachi. She had found him here, in this bed, unconscious and slightly bloody. Fortunately, the blood had only been from small pinprick wounds on his back (from Naruto-kun's claws, she was told), not from anything extremely serious.

"How are you feeling, son?" Ayako asked, smoothing out the quilt covering Itachi's lower body in a nervous gesture. Her anxiety gave her extra energy that she often didn't know what to do with.

Itachi frowned, taking stock of his body. What was most prominent was the fact that he had a killer headache, one even worse than the headache caused by the overuse of his Sharingan. Itachi realized that his stomach felt hollow and empty, but that, at the same time, he felt completely nauseated, reminiscent of the time when, at six years old, he'd stuffed his face with birthday cake. As he moved his head to give himself a more thorough look-over, Itachi also noticed that his entire back was sore. _I think I pulled a muscle,_ the dark-haired young man thought, raising a brow in surprise at his discovery. _But I have no idea how that could have happened…_

"I feel okay, mother," he finally answered, still checking himself out. "I have the worst headache, though… And, for some reason, my back feels like I've crashed through a wall," he added, mystified.

Gaara snorted, which brought Itachi's attention back to the fact that he was lying in a strange bed, surrounded by his fiancé's guardian and twin brother, as well as his mother. Itachi fixed the current Lady Uchiha with a piercing stare, finally realizing that she'd completely avoided his question and successfully derailed his thoughts for a few moments.

"Mother," Itachi said, in a forced calm tone, "_what_ is going on?"

Ayako cleared her throat, sending a slightly fearful glance towards her son before looking away at the _very_ interesting wallpaper on the far wall. "Well, son…" she started, floundering for words. She knew this wouldn't go over well, and was slightly nervous as to how her son would react. Despite the fact that she was his mother and that she loved him very much, she was not blind to the way her son could become very volatile when enraged. _And this situation is __**certain**__ to anger him,_ she thought, biting her lip.

"Your engagement to Naruto has been broken," Iruka said firmly, hands clasped serenely in front of his body. So far, he had managed to remain quiet, even though all he really wanted to do was vent and punch the younger Uchiha in the face. However, for politeness' sake, he had stepped in only when it became obvious that Ayako could not find the courage to break the news to her son.

Itachi, at hearing Iruka's proclamation, drew back into his pillows with a gasp. "What are you saying, Iruka-san? Why would my engagement to Naruto-kun be broken? What is the meaning of this!"

Gaara stepped forward, teal-colored eyes set into a harsh glare. "Oh, don't play innocent, you dirty bastard," the red-head hissed. "We all saw you yesterday; there's no point in denying it!"

Itachi merely shook his head, sending his loose, long black locks flying. "I don't know what you're talking about!" he yelled desperately. Itachi's usual clam was lost in the midst of his confusion. His pale pink lips pulled down into a deep frown. "Could someone please tell me what's going on?"

Ayako stepped forward to place a calming hand on her son's shoulders, gently pushing him back to rest on his pillows again. "Son," she said, sitting down on the edge of the bed and reaching out to brush Itachi's bangs out of his eyes, "you did something very inappropriate yesterday…"

Itachi's brows merely drew together at her announcement, clearly showing his confusion. Ayako, being Itachi's mother, was one of the rare few who had witnessed most of Itachi's well-hidden emotions. At this time, she believed her son was genuinely confused; he was not faking. He really didn't know what had transpired last night.

"Itachi, I know you care for Naruto-kun very much," she said, clasping one of his large hands between both of hers. Her small pale hands were dainty in comparison. "However, for some reason…" Ayako paused to take a deep, fortifying breath before continuing, "For some reason, last night you decided to have intimate relations with Naruto-kun's cousin, Haruno-san!"

Itachi was dumbfounded. "Mother, what are you saying? I would never do that! I am engaged to Naruto-kun!" Itachi's eyes, which had so far been ebony, turned into the red of the Sharingan due to his mounting rage. "I can't believe anyone would say such baseless things – especially not you, mother!"

Iruka shook his head, bringing Itachi's angry gaze to him. The brunet did not back down from the younger man's anger, despite the fact that Itachi was many times more powerful than Iruka could ever hope to be. _Itachi_ was the one who was in the wrong, not him – he had nothing to fear. This thought gave Iruka the renewed courage necessary to say, "Itachi-san! Both Gaara and I saw you with your pants down in the kitchen! Sakura-chan had her dress all out of sorts, and her panties were nowhere to be seen! What else could someone gather from those facts other than an affair between the two of you?"

Itachi glared, not convinced. "I'm sorry, Iruka-san, but I don't care what you saw. It could have been a set-up, for all I know. I would _never_ willingly cheat on Naruto-kun!"

Ayako's heart went out to her little boy. He was emphatic; he really didn't believe he had done as he was accused. She was just about to speak up in his defense, when –

"Naruto was the one that found you," Gaara said quietly, pinning the Uchiha heir under an extremely angry stare, arms crossed in front of his chest to hide the way his hands were tightly fisted. "He wanted to kill you both. He _would_ have killed Sakura if I hadn't interfered. Whatever you say, it doesn't matter. _Naruto_ is the one that announced the end to your engagement. He left the mansion to complete his Hokage training because he couldn't stand to see your face!"

Itachi looked as if the red-head's words had been a physical blow. _Did I really do it? Could I have been capable of cheating on my precious Naruto-kun?_ Itachi stared down at the blanket covering his form quietly. The navy blue coverlet was caught in his tight fists, but he couldn't really feel the material in his hands, not even when his knuckles turned white from the force. Right now, he couldn't feel anything, inside or out. He was frozen.

"That's not all, Itachi-san," Iruka said, feeling some kind of perverse pleasure out of seeing the Uchiha so broken and miserable.

_He deserves it!_ he thought maliciously. _He deserves all this and __**more**__ for hurting my little Naru-chan! Naruto might act like he's all tough_, Iruka reflected, thinking back on the way the blond had tried to smile as he'd said goodbye before leaving for his Hokage training, _but he's actually a really sensitive boy. He's really broken up about this, and it's all this man's fault! _Iruka thought, glaring at Itachi.

The brunet's tone was frosty when he said, "You are now engaged to Sakura-chan. Your marriage will be in exactly two weeks from today."

Itachi's head snapped up, his fingers finally releasing the tight hold they'd had over the blanket. "What?" he croaked, his mouth suddenly incredibly dry. He couldn't believe – didn't _want_ to believe – that he'd heard that right.

Ayako took over for Iruka, bringing her son's disbelieving gaze to her. "Itachi, son…" the woman said, smoothing out the imaginary wrinkles in her dark gray dress, "Iruka-san and I have agreed that the best thing to do now would be for you to marry Haruno-san. Many of the party guests were also witnesses to the…" she trailed off, waving her hand through the air as she tried to find an appropriate word for the catastrophe, "_event_ of last night, and tongues have already started to wag. We've managed to stop most of the rumors, but that won't work for long. It is only a temporary fix. We must announce your engagement to Haruno-san as quickly as possible to avoid dragging _both_ of our family names through the mud."

Ayako knew that, as the Uchiha heir, Itachi could see that there was no other choice. He had been raised as part of the great Uchiha clan, and was therefore used to being under public scrutiny at all times. Itachi had grown up knowing that any scandal could bring ruin to their family. Clans as old as theirs were built on prestige as well as power; they could not let the commoners see them mess up or fail at anything. They were the best of the best – always. 'Mistake' was not part of their vocabulary.

_Please,_ Itachi thought, squeezing his eyes shut tight, momentarily blocking out the world and all the problems that came with it, _forgive me, Naruto-kun._

Snapping his eyes open, Itachi said, "Fine. I'll do it. I'll marry Haruno-san."

**~ SAVAGE HEARTS - THE BEGINNING OF THE END - _END_ ~**

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Gah, I really hate how this chapter came out! I hope it wasn't TOO horrible...

Please review!


	8. The Beginning of a Pardon

Hello all! Here I am again with Savage Hearts, chapter 8! Is this chapter late? I posted the chapter I had promised for Tuesday on Sunday… which would make that one early… and makes this one late? IDK, I'm not sure, but please forgive me anyway!

And that reminds me!

**IMPORTANT NOTICE:** I will try my best to update as soon as possible, but as I've said before – I no longer have an internet connection! I am now at the mercy of our fridge and food supplies (for we usually only go back into civilization to get more food!), as well as the free wi-fi available at the local Mexican restaurant, which is spotty at best… I wish I had other options, but there are no other wireless hotspots. Everyone is so stingy!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the _Naruto_ series!

**Warnings: **ItaNaru and ItaSaku, but not really… Oh, and **strong language**

**Notes:** Thank you everyone who reviewed! I got 8 reviews for chapter 7, yay! Since my replies are getting pretty wordy, I've decided to put them at the bottom of the chapter from now on! Please scroll down to read them :)

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**~ SAVAGE HEARTS – THE BEGINNING OF A PARDON ~**

Sakura had been isolated in her room for the past five days. Other than the fact that she was going crazy with boredom, she had no real need to be let out: she had her private bathroom attached to her bedroom, and a maid always brought up her meals. You would think that this would provide some relief to the monotony of her days, but no. Iruka had given strict orders to the help that they were not to talk to her – that they were just supposed to do their job and go.

Sakura, however, would have none of that. After all, how was she supposed to know what was going on with her _future husband_ if she was locked away up here? She had, through the use of some subtle flirting and a few _accidental_ shows of cleavage, convinced one of the butlers that drew up her bath to dawdle a little and talk to her. Sakura, being a master at manipulating both men and meaningless talk, made sure to gather some information on what was happening in the outside world. The subject that most interested her, of course, was Itachi Uchiha, her _fiancé_.

Some people might dispute that detail since their engagement had come about in an unconventional manner, but really, who cared how and why their engagement took place? Sakura sure didn't. She didn't even care that Itachi hadn't been by to visit her or that she didn't receive a pretty ring with a large diamond like Naruto's (her simple gold band had arrived by courier). All that really mattered to her was the fact that she and Itachi Uchiha (_the Uchiha heir! _Sakura's mind interjected happily) were to be married in exactly nine days, on June 9. Sakura was counting down the days giddily. All her plans had worked out.

_I __**am **__going to be the next Lady Uchiha,_ she thought triumphantly_. There is __**nothing **__that anyone can do to try and stop me, not even my __**dear**__ cousin Naruto. _With a smirk, Sakura got to thinking of the fate of her poor blond relative, who was surely heartbroken after catching her and Itachi during their passionate affair. He had been "in love" with the Uchiha, after all. It must hurt to see someone you "loved" having sex with someone else. _That's just too bad,_ the pink-haired girl thought, fixing her hair in the mirror despite the fact that no one was around to see whether or not it was perfect, _but the sooner he learns that there is no such thing as __**love**__ the better off he'll be. Really, I'm doing him a favor!_

With a nod to herself in the mirror (both agreeing with herself and to see if her hair was firmly in place), Sakura swept from the room. Sure, Iruka's punishment was still in place, but Sakura was sure she could wheedle her way out of it. She had been a perfect captive so far (she thought so, anyway. Who cares what the help thinks?), and she deserved at least a little bit of freedom in exchange. What could it hurt to be let out for a while?

**~ SAVAGE HEARTS – THE BEGINNING OF A PARDON ~**

Naruto, who had been training steadily since the early hours of the morning, was drenched in sweat. Having an extremely sensitive nose thanks to the fox demon housed inside him, Naruto was especially conscious of the fact. _I reek_, the blond thought, subtly sniffing at himself. Looking around, he wondered, _can anyone else smell me? I hope not!_

He was currently walking down a busy street in the ninja section of Konoha, and people were pressed all around him. Ninjas trained hard to hone their senses into being sharper than an average civilian's, but it seemed like his stench was either not reaching them or not bothering them. Naruto dearly hoped it was the former – that the ninjas around him really didn't notice his stink and weren't just hiding their reactions to his body odor. It would be embarrassing to have anyone think of him as unhygienic.

_Gah!_ Naruto thought, frowning inwardly while working to keep his outside face neutral. _This is all that stupid baa-chan's fault!_ he thought, fisting his hands and barely keeping the urge to wave them around wildly in check._ She just __**had**__ to send for me in the middle of my training, didn't she?_ the blond teen complained inwardly, already starting to think of the prank he would play on the Hokage in return. _Honestly, she knows I've been training really hard to pass the stupid ANBU fitness test!_

Previously, in order to complete Hokage training, the Hokage candidate had to be at least jounin level – a requirement which Naruto met, as he had been a jounin for several years now.  
Recently, however, the council (a bunch of old farts that should have keeled over by now) had raised the bar to ANBU level in order to delay his inauguration. Everyone _knew_ it was simply a delay (even the council members knew that they couldn't keep him away for long, _unfortunately_) and that Naruto would soon meet the requirements, but _damn_ if Naruto didn't want to kill those geezers for making him work harder!

_I hope they choke on their tea,_ Naruto thought, smiling slightly at the mental image that came to mind. _Maybe I should make it happen… Discreetly, of course…_ This thought kept him occupied all the way to the Hokage tower, which was actually rather far when taking the long route (which Naruto had, of course). He thought it served Tsunade right to wait, after dragging him away from his training.

Finally reaching the tower, he climbed the stairs slowly, practically dragging his feet. Once he reached the door of her office, he nodded at the ANBU members guarding her door. They moved out of his way swiftly, recognizing him easily – it was hard not to, since he was a regular visitor. Taking a deep breath, Naruto burst in enthusiastically.

"Baa-chan!" he cried out loudly, slamming the door to her office extra hard. He knew that always worked to wake her up and piss her off, and he was dead-set on annoying the hell out of her today. (It was part one of his long, complicated revenge plans.) "You interrupted my training! What do you-"

Having finally looked around the room, Naruto came to a screeching halt.

"What the hell are **you** doing here?" he growled out, his blue eyes narrowing dangerously. As he spoke the beginnings of a rasengan were forming in one of his tightly clasped fists, for there, standing calmly in the middle of the Hokage's office, was the bane of his existence.

Sakura took a step back, her green eyes wide and innocent. (_Like I'd ever believe that after she slept with my fiancé! _Naruto thought, throwing her a look of pure disgust.) One of the pink-haired girl's fair, dainty hands clenched the skirt of her pale pink and white sundress while the other was outstretched towards him, palm facing outwards. "Please, Naruto-kun!" she said, her painted red lips moving slowly, drawing out her words. "Hear me out!"

Naruto growled audibly, causing his cousin to draw back a step, fear flashing in her eyes quickly before disappearing.

"I know you must be angry at me," Sakura started, but was startled into stopping by the sound of a snort. It didn't come from Naruto, though, Sakura found after sending him a searching glance. No, the disbelieving sound came from the blond woman sitting behind the large desk – the Hokage of Konoha. Sakura blushed brightly. She had almost forgotten the woman was there; Tsunade had not spoken a word to her since she'd arrived, despite the fact that Sakura had tried to make small talk while waiting for Naruto to reach the room.

"That is quite the understatement," the blond woman drawled, pinning Sakura under her bright amber-hued gaze. Tsunade had heard all about what had happened at Iruka's party – not from Naruto himself, of course; he'd been rather tight-lipped about that particular subject, going so far as walking out of the room if the subject was ever brought up – and so she now had a healthy dislike of the pink-haired young woman.

Naruto was her favorite ninja; she had met him at the age of thirteen and he won her over so much that she appointed him as her successor that same year. As far as she was concerned, the quirky blond teen was family. No one was going to get away with hurting him – especially not some pink-haired hussy with almost no chakra. Naruto could and had eliminated far more dangerous threats than this Sakura girl, and yet he was the most hurt Tsunade had ever seen him because of her actions.

When Naruto had first shown up here five days ago, Tsunade had been surprised, to say the least. The rumors of Itachi and Sakura's indiscretions and Naruto's resulting loss of engagement had not yet reached her, so she had no idea why Naruto was in her office in the early hours of the morning, claiming that he wanted to finally finish his Hokage training. The last she had spoken to him about it, Naruto had wanted a break so he could focus on planning Iruka's birthday party, Gaara's wedding, and, much more importantly, his own impending nuptials. She had mentioned this, but the resulting hurt that shone clearly from Naruto's bright blue eyes had made her postpone her questioning.

Then, today, Tsunade had found the girl who'd single-handedly made Naruto's dreams of marrying Itachi disappear standing "innocently" in her office, wanting to speak to him. Tsunade had wanted nothing more than to deny her request to see Naruto, but she had no official reason to prohibit the girl from visiting her cousin. As much as Tsunade would like to, she could not simply tell Sakura "no" and write "she stole his fiancé!" as the reason for her refusal.

So now here they were, the two teens facing off in front of her. Tsunade, under normal circumstances, would reprimand Naruto for dipping into Kyuubi's chakra (for she could feel it rising steadily, and the _growl_ had been a dead giveaway), but found that she didn't have the heart to do it in this instance. Honestly, she doubted anyone could blame Naruto for feeling angry when facing the woman who had stolen away his fiancé by sleeping with him.

At Tsunade's statement, Sakura had blushed heavily, which tinted her pale cheeks an unsightly red. She had raised both hands to cover the change in color daintily. "I'm sorry, Tsunade-san ("That's _Hokage-__**sama**_ to you, brat," Tsunade replied, scowling), but could you give us a second alone?"

Naruto threw the blond woman a pleading look, clearly trying to say _Don't leave me alone with her! _but he needn't have bothered. Tsunade had no intentions of leaving. "Absolutely not," she answered, throwing the pink-haired girl a haughty look. "This is _my_ office, and I will not be kicked out of it. Be glad that I even allowed you an audience with Naruto!"

Sakura paled. She had no intentions of making an enemy out of the Hokage. Not even her imminent position as Lady Uchiha could save her from the blond woman's wrath. Sakura quickly backpedaled and bowed deeply to the Hokage. "I'm sorry, Hokage-sama! I meant no disrespect!" Tsunade merely waved a hand at her dismissingly, her bored (and slightly angry) expression never changing, and Sakura took that as acceptance of her apology.

Turning towards Naruto, she approached him slowly, ignoring the warning growl that ripped out of his throat. When she was a foot in front of him, she finally stopped and reached out for his hand. Naruto narrowed his eyes but did not move to stop her. Clasping her cousin's hand in both of her own, Sakura widened her green eyes, trying her hardest to look vulnerable and irreproachable.

"Naruto-kun…" she started, facing the floor and looking up at him through her eyelashes. "I am very sorry for what happened at Uncle Iruka's birthday party," Sakura said, her tone solemn. She threw in the "uncle" to remind the blond that they were family (even though Iruka wasn't really her uncle, only Naruto's). Naruto choked on air and looked ready to snap back at her, but Sakura quickly continued. "I don't know how Itachi-san and I ended up in that situation; I don't really recall much more than cutting the cake and drinking the toast. I'm afraid I'm a bit of a lightweight when it comes to drinking. I know that's not an excuse, and that I shouldn't have drank anything at all, but that's all I can really say to explain what happened."

Naruto drew a deep breath, unclenching his fists and not punching his cousin only through a lot of effort and self-control. "That is complete **bullshit** and you know it, Sakura!" he hissed, glaring fiercely at the pink-haired girl. "You were fucking _smiling_ at me when I caught you screwing Itachi up against that wall! You did it on _purpose_, you **bitch**!"

Sakura drew back, pretending to be deeply offended. Her face scrunched up in pain, and she looked as if Naruto had slapped her instead of just insulting her. "Naruto-kun!" she cried, tearing up, "I can't believe you would think that! I could _never_ do something that horrible to you on purpose!" Sakura wrapped her arms around her middle, seeming to shrink into herself. She sniffed, continuing in a pathetically soft tone, "I had never had… _intimate relations_ before that night, Naruto-kun… That was my first time…"

Naruto winced, looking regretful of his previous accusations. He himself had been saving himself for marriage. _His_ first time was supposed to be with Itachi!

Seeing his reaction, Sakura grinned inwardly. _I am the best actress ever! If I ever get bored of being Lady Uchiha, I could get a job as a famous actress… _Her eyes gleamed with satisfaction at her own acting prowess. _It's almost too easy! Like taking candy from a baby!_ The fact that she had convinced him so easily made her want to scoff at Naruto's naiveté. _As if I would have remained a virgin for this long. Only sentimental losers like __**him**__ save themselves for marriage in this day and age._

Tsunade rolled her eyes, but didn't interfere with the little family drama. Naruto was much too soft. She made a mental note to never send him on a mission that involved crying girls. _Honestly,_ she thought contemptuously, _how can he just forget that this girl __**slept with his fiancé**__? _

Unknown to Tsunade, Naruto had _not_ forgotten, but he just didn't like to make girls cry. And, despite everything, Sakura was still his cousin. He didn't know whether the "I was drunk!" excuse held water – he had not seen her since he was five, after all, so he had never seen how she behaved while drunk – but he was considering it. He, being the host to a powerful demon, had never gotten drunk in his life – he couldn't, no matter how much he drank – so he had no personal reference point. He _had_, however, witnessed many of his fellow ninjas getting drunk off their asses after returning from a successful mission. Somehow, they _always_ managed to do something stupid that completely embarrassed them the next day. It was not _too_ far-fetched that Sakura might have a similar reaction to drinking, and it was possible that alcohol was even more potent for her, since she was a small woman with next to no chakra.

With all his pondering, Naruto had pretty much managed to convince himself that Sakura was too drunk to know what she was doing that night. That still left the matter of Itachi, though… Sighing and shaking his head to get rid of that thought for later study, Naruto finally met Sakura's teary green gaze.

"Fine," he said shortly. "Let's say I believe you. You were drunk; you didn't know what you were doing. So what? What do you want now? You already have my fiancé. You didn't have to come apologize. You could have just gotten married and then kept your distance from me…"

Sakura nodded her head, her pink hair flowing around her with the movement. "I know, Naruto-kun. However, while I know that you probably want nothing to do with me right now, I want you to be part of the wedding. Now that my parents are dead, you and Gaara-kun are the only family I have left…" Her wide green eyes pinned him with a pleading look while her hands wrung her dress anxiously, completing the picture Sakura wanted to paint of being nervous and expectant. "Please, Naruto-kun," Sakura implored, pouting slightly. "It would mean a lot to both Itachi-san and I if you were present."

Naruto flinched at her casual mention of his ex-fiancé. He had still not gotten over the fact that Itachi had been capable of cheating on him after they had known and liked each other for so long. Yes, they had only been engaged for less than two months when the _incident_ happened, but they had been flirting steadily since they had met at Neji's mansion four years ago. In fact, Itachi had given Naruto his first kiss during Christmas two years ago. Naruto had never even _looked_ at anyone else after that magical moment. Apparently, Itachi wasn't as enamored with Naruto as Naruto had been with him.

Sighing and resigning himself to his fate (as surely Sakura would cry again if he said no), Naruto gave Sakura his word that he'd be at the wedding.

Sakura, who had gotten to know that Naruto never went back on his word in the few short weeks they'd been living under the same roof, smiled. "Thank you, Naruto-kun!" she squealed happily, giving him a hug.

With her face hidden in his shoulder, Sakura's smile changed to a smirk. _Yes,_ she thought, _thank you, __**Naruto-kun**__… I'll take great pleasure in seeing you miserable…_

**~ SAVAGE HEARTS – THE BEGINNING OF A PARDON – **_**END**_

* * *

So, how did y'all like chapter 8? Please review and tell me!

REVIEW REPLIES:

Takuya: Haha, my thoughts exactly! I was surprised you were the only who mentioned it. Great minds think alike, ne?

KoTenshi: Yeah, I am giving Itachi a bad deal, aren't I? And Sasuke comes in next chapter. For sure this time ;)

DiYella-Sama: Whore repellant! That's an excellent idea XD Unfortunately, for the sake of the plot, I can't give it to Sasuke just yet

Vitwo: You're right; Itachi did give up really fast… I was hoping that no one would notice and would just buy my reasons XD And don't worry. Sakura's evil ways will be found out… eventually ;)

Sanz0girl: Unfortunately, none of your requests will be fulfilled. :( However, I CAN promise to have some more ItaNaru interaction for a while, and Sakura will eventually lose everything!

Stargazer: Yes, it is ALL Sakura's fault. I made her such a bad person in this fic, didn't I?

K: I'm sorry that you don't like Sakura with Itachi, but it was necessary for the plot. Like I've said before, this fic is inspired by a Mexican telenovela (soap opera). I'm trying to follow most of its plot, and in order for me to do that, this betrayal was necessary. If you really have a problem with it, I suggest you stop reading this fic. Sakura and Itachi will be together for most of it.

Jtwsnw20: Wow, did I really make you cry? I'm sorry! I didn't mean for the last chapter to be sad enough to make my readers cry…

AND IN OTHER NEWS: I noticed that most of your reviews included "bad" words, mostly in place of Sakura's name! It was most amusing – after I took off the profanity filter, anyway! The first time I read through them I was like: "why does everyone include little stars (**) in their reviews? Do they not like profanity? I've been writing a lot of it recently… Oops!"


	9. The Beginning of an Affair

Hello all! Here I am again, coming at you with chapter 9 of Savage Hearts! This chapter was very easy for me to write. In fact, it was a bit TOO easy! It totally got away from me and my plans went right out the window… I'm actually kind of afraid what it might mean that this was so easy for me to write about… [I am a kinky freak]

**Disclaimer: **Nope, no matter how much I want to, I don't own the _Naruto_ series!

**Warnings: **Mentions of ItaNaru, ItaSaku, and **most prominently** **SasuSaku!** Also in this chapter, beware slight language and **mentions of** **rape/noncon**!

**Notes:** Thank you very much everyone who reviewed! For chapter 8, I got reviews out of hits and visitors! Like last time, review replies are located at the bottom of the chapter!

ALSO: I'm sorry if this seems like space filler! I have to admit that nothing dramatic or of major importance happens in this chapter, but it sets up several plot points that will show up later.

**~ SAVAGE HEARTS – THE BEGINNING OF AN AFFAIR ~**

Sakura was feeling extremely cheerful as she stepped out of the Hokage tower. Her joyful mood was broadcasted to anyone who cared to look at the wide smile plastered on her face, a smile which showed off her perfectly straight, white teeth. And Sakura just _knew_ that there were plenty of men who cared to look. As she walked towards the carriage waiting to take her home, she could feel their heated gazes raking over her body; the feeling raised the little hairs on her arms and on the back of her neck. Sakura couldn't really blame them for looking, though – the kunoichi wandering around were troll-like. Sakura was usually considered beautiful, but compared to these women, she was a _goddess_. Her smile widened – she liked that thought.

Finally reaching her carriage, Sakura allowed the footman to help her into her seat. She usually avoided touching the help when at all possible, but she was wearing new shoes and was not quite steady in them yet. The pink-haired girl felt that allowing the servant to help her was preferable to running the risk of falling and making a fool of herself.

Reaching over, Sakura snapped the curtains shut and then relaxed back into her seat. The carriage set off briskly, and she could hear the wind ruffling the orange curtains (this _used_ to be Naruto's carriage – now Sakura had commandeered it as hers) as it came in through the open window. The gentle breeze was warm and comfortable, and it was lulling her into sleep. Her eyes were drooping, fighting to stay open. Her struggle was proving futile. With a sigh, Sakura slouched into a more comfortable position (no one was around to see her, after all) and closed her eyes fully, dropping off into sleep.

**~ SAVAGE HEARTS – THE BEGINNING OF AN AFFAIR ~**

Ebony-colored eyes narrowed as they sighted a white carriage coming down the road, headed towards the Namikaze-Uzumaki mansion that was located at the end of the lane. The owner of those eyes – a young, pale-skinned man with short, spiky hair so black that it was almost blue – peered out through the leaves of the tree he was perched in; he wanted to confirm that this was the _correct _white carriage. During the past week that he'd been observing the goings-on of the mansion, he'd discovered that _all_ of the Namikaze-Uzumaki carriages were painted the same bright white color.

The only feature that could be relied upon to distinguish between the carriages (because, while the servants usually manned only one of the carriages, they _did_ sometimes switch up) was the color of the curtains. The master of the manor, Iruka Umino, preferred a blue-green color reminiscent of ocean waves. The red-headed twin, Gaara, preferred his curtains to be a deep, burgundy red, a color that looked eerily close to the hue of freshly-spilled blood. The final carriage was owned by the blond dobe of the house, the _heir_ of the Namikaze-Uzumaki family, _Naruto_, the man recalled with a sneer.

Despite the ugly expression the man sported at the thought, he didn't _really_ dislike the dumb blond teen that he'd spent the past week observing. The man simply hated clan families and disliked being reminded of the upper-class' stupid hierarchical structures. This particular assignment had been severely draining on the man's extremely limited reserve of patience as well as on his barely-there self-control. The past week had seemed to crawl by, and it had only served to cement all of his preconceived notions about the stupidity and arrogance inherent in all the members of the upper-class.

Naruto's personal carriage featured bright _orange_ curtains. The color was so bright that the man feared he would permanently damage his sharp eyes if he stared at them for too long. _This_ particular carriage had those same blindingly orange curtains, a fact that caused the man to smirk evilly.

He leapt from tree to tree, quickly and stealthily creeping closer to the carriage and its carefree passengers. They had no idea what was about to happen to them. They believed they were safe, relying on the patrol that was supposed to guard the broad expanse of land owned by the Namikaze-Uzumaki family. Unknown to them, however, three of those guards were now lying unconscious in the underbrush, while the others were all trapped in a simple but undetectable genjutsu that would keep them away from the scene.

Using his incredible speed, the man jumped down from the tree he was in and landed right in front of the carriage. His sudden appearance on the road spooked the horses, causing them to rear up on their hind legs, whinnying loudly. The carriage jerked and the footman went flying, crashing headfirst into a tree. The footman's form slumped to the ground slowly, clearly unconscious from the blow. The uniformed man holding the reins had stayed in his seat, but just barely. The attacker used the driver's lack of balance to his advantage, delivering a swift (but light – he had no intentions of seriously hurting the help) kick to his side. The kick was the catalyst that caused the man to finally topple over, landing on the dirt with a loud "oof!" The driver was severely winded and in pain; he offered absolutely no defense against the attacker's following strike. The man slipped into unconsciousness quickly.

With a snort at how disgustingly _easy_ that was, the black-haired young man released the tethers that were keeping the spooked horses attached to the carriage. As soon as they were untied, the horses galloped away, panting with the exertion and their fear. The attacker spent a few moments just watching the horses as they ran, speeding away towards the stables that were their homes. The animals were all a light cream color, and they looked wild and yet majestic as they ran.

Shaking himself to get rid of those thoughts, the man turned back to the abandoned carriage. His quarry was in there, and he could not let the blond get away. His mission, and more importantly, his next big paycheck, depended on capturing and eventually eliminating the blond idiot.

The man was actually surprised that the blond hadn't tried to attack him in self-defense yet – something that the teen would be in his full rights to do, as he'd been attacked on his own property. Despite the current lack of defense, the man was wary, for he knew the kid was a jounin and he had heard rumors about the blond's strength from several other mercenaries. While the man usually tried to avoid listening to rumors, the people he had heard them from were hardened criminals that he knew didn't spook easily. If _they_ were worried about this kid's strength, then there was probably something to worry about.

With these thoughts in mind, the man took his time in walking up to the carriage door, on the lookout for any surprise attacks the blond might attempt. With one hand firmly on his blade, the man used the other to throw open the door. It banged loudly off of the wall from the force, and yet there was no reaction from within. One of the man's eyebrows raised in confusion. _What is going on?_ the black-haired young man wondered, completely confused. His form was still tense in preparation for an attack that wasn't coming, despite the several seconds that had passed.

Exasperated with his own wariness, the man finally squared his shoulders and leapt into the carriage, ready to face whatever the blond threw at him.

Once he was in the carriage, however, the man came to a complete standstill.

There, sprawled out on one of the cushioned seats, was a pink-haired young woman, not a blond-haired young _man_. The man instantly recognized the pink hair. It belonged to the blond's cousin, the one that had caused quite a scandal a day after the man had started his spying. He hadn't exactly paid attention to the details (for he just didn't care), but he thought the gist of it involved the girl, the blond, and the blond's fiancé, who was yet another hoity-toity clan heir.

After a quick look-over, the man surmised that the girl merely had a small bump on the back of the head and yet was completely out of it, most likely knocked out when the carriage jolted. The man heaved a world-weary sigh. _Great,_ he thought, rolling his dark eyes and shoving a pale hand through his spiky dark hair, _now what do I do? This certainly wasn't part of the plan…_

Sasuke, the infamous mercenary known as Sasuke Son of the Devil, had such shitty luck.

**~ SAVAGE HEARTS – THE BEGINNING OF AN AFFAIR ~**

When Sakura finally stirred, it was several hours later. Of course, having been knocked unconscious while she'd been asleep, she had no knowledge of the time that had passed. All _she_ knew at that moment was that she was lying on something that was much softer than the carriage seat she had originally fallen asleep on, she had a pounding headache, and that her stomach was rumbling loudly in hunger. Despite not even knowing whether she was alone or not, for she was blindfolded and couldn't see anything, Sakura blushed at the unattractive sound.

A soft chuckle met her ears, and the pink-haired girl cocked her head. The sound had been deep and pleasant – it reminded her of what she imagined Itachi's intimate laugh would be like. Having not seen him for the past few days due to her confinement, and the fact that before that he'd only _truly_ laughed (not that polite, quiet chuckle he gave when in the presence of others) when in the company of her annoying cousin, Sakura could not be sure if Itachi's laugh matched her guess. But, what she _was_ sure of was the fact that she liked the sound of _this_ laugh. _Whoever issued it must be handsome,_ she thought,_ because, really, no unattractive person can laugh that nicely._

"Who's there?" Sakura asked, turning her head this way and that, trying to hear the other person's – the _man_'s, she corrected herself – movements. "I hope you know who I am! People will notice I'm missing and come looking for me!" the pink-haired girl yelled, squaring her shoulders defiantly. "And when they find you, they'll _kill_ you – I'll make sure of it," she stated confidently, layering all her derision and contempt into her voice. No matter how handsome this man turned out to be, she would not be friendly to someone of a lower class. And, really, in Sakura's happy little world, only a peasant would resort to kidnapping such an important noblewoman like herself (she was the future Lady Uchiha, damn it!).

The soft, deep chuckle rang through the air again, louder this time. The sound was accompanied by a large hand brushing gently up and down her face before coming to rest cupping her cheek. Sakura jumped at the feeling, not expecting to be touched in such a soft, intimate manner by her kidnapper.

"Don't you touch me, you scum!" she shrieked, practically spitting out her insult. "I don't want to be contaminated by your filthy _peasant_ germs!"

The hand that had been gently grasping her cheek tightened, moving down to squeeze her chin. The hand tilted her face upwards harshly, and even though she was blindfolded, Sakura could feel the man's heated, angry gaze practically burning her face.

"Oh, I'm _scum_, am I? You don't want me touching you? You think my hands are dirty and that I'll contaminate you because of my status as a _lowly __**peasant**_?" the man hissed, his hand tightening, causing Sakura's green eyes to tear up from the pain. "Well guess what, sweetheart?" the man crooned, continuing to squeeze Sakura's chin ever more tightly and seeming to take a wicked sense of pleasure out of hearing the pained whimpers that the movement caused. "Tonight I'm going to touch much more than just your face!"

Behind her blindfold, Sakura's eyes widened, the movement causing more tears to slide down her suddenly ashen face. She hoped the man didn't mean what she thought he meant… When the man's other hand rose to stroke her hair and then moved down her exposed arm (for her sundress had very thin straps, a fact she was kicking herself for), Sakura froze. _Dear God, _she thought, horrified, _please don't let me get raped by this __**man**__, if he can even be called that!_

The man cackled in a sinister way, the sound rumbling around the room. "I see you've figured out my meaning, sweetheart. Don't you worry, though. I'll make sure you enjoy it, despite the fact that it will be my _peasant_ hands that are touching you!"

**~ SAVAGE HEARTS – THE BEGINNING OF AN AFFAIR - **_**END**_

Gah, I don't know where this ending came from. I hadn't meant to make Sasuke a rapist, I swear! This wasn't in my plans at all! It just came out like that?

But now that it's there, I think it kind of fits. I've made Sakura a total lower-class-hater in this fic, so I doubt I could have written her falling in love (or at least in lust) with a poor, nameless Sasuke if she'd just seen him on the street… Not believably, anyway. It would've come out like random PWP. And having to write SasuSaku romance? –gags– No thank you!

I'm sure you guys can all tell what would've happened after the break. I hope that I don't have to spell it out for you… [It involves pr0n] However, if you DO want to see some SasuSaku smex, tell me in a review and I'll TRY to incorporate it into the next chapter…

If it does happen though, I can tell you right now it won't be a full-blown sex scene! I don't think I can stomach writing a graphic SasuSaku chapter. –feels woozy just thinking about it–

Besides, I don't want to raise the rating to M quite yet. I'm saving that for when we get to the SasuNaru section! ;)

REVIEW REPLIES: will appear in the next chapter, I promise! No time, no time...


	10. The Beginning of a Sexcapade

Hey all! Here I am again with Savage Hearts, chapter 10! You guys can_not_ imagine how difficult writing this chapter turned out to be. Not because of the content itself [I'm still a kinky freak] but because of the problems that popped up to interrupt the writing process!

First, my laptop's charger **stopped charging**, and I was _freaking out_ thinking that I had lost all my information, since I don't have anything saved elsewhere (I'm looking into buying an external hard drive; any suggestions?), but thankfully after 24 hours it suddenly decided to start working again. That was such a relief!

But _then_, I decided to save copies of my chapters onto my mp3. Everything was going fine until I got to _this _chapter. Halfway through, a message popped up saying something along the lines of "there's already a version of this chapter saved, fool! Do you want to replace it?" I clicked _Yes_, and found myself faced with half a chapter! WTF? Isn't the _latest_ version supposed to replace the _earlier_ one? Not in this case…

After all those suspicious happenings, I started to think that the fanfiction gods didn't want me to write SasuSaku smut. I was forced to submit before anything worse happened. So, **no SasuSaku smut!** I only mentioned it in the rewrite.

**Disclaimer: **Don't own _Naruto_! Or any of the other characters either!

**Warnings: **language and mentions of DubiousConsent!SasuSaku

**Notes: **Thank you everyone who reviewed! As promised, review replies for chapter 8 can be found at the end of this chapter. Replies for chapter 9's reviews will be found next time!

ALSO: Sakura-centric chapter! Sorry guys, I don't like it either, but it's necessary to further the plot… Darn this plot, making me do such yucky things!

**~ SAVAGE HEARTS – THE BEGINNING OF A SEXCAPADE ~**

It was hot. But it was not just the regular type of summer hot, though – no, today it was _unbearably_ hot outside. It was practically blazing.

The sun's rays were beaming down on her relentlessly, making Sakura believe that her pale skin was in imminent danger of burning and then, she shuddered in disgust, _peeling_. The air flowing sluggishly around her didn't help any, for it was steamy and humid, which inevitably caused her long pink hair to stick uncomfortably to the nape of her neck and frizz out of control. It was just her luck that on the one day she actually _walked_ home, the weather outside was this horrible.

Releasing a frustrated groan, Sakura gathered her hair and twisted it quickly into a bun on the top of her head. After just a few steps forward, her hair loosened and the first few strands started to fall out of her makeshift chignon. Due to her hair's straightness, it did not hold any type of hairstyle without the help of several clips and ties and a whole lot of hair products.

Rolling her eyes, Sakura pouted. _This is all that damn Sasuke's fault!_ the pink-haired girl complained mentally, never ceasing in her steady walk despite the fact that her feet _hurt_. Sakura had unfortunately discovered that her white high-heeled sandals, while being undeniably cute and being a perfect match for her pink and white sundress, were definitely _not_ built for comfort. This usually didn't stop her – "there's no beauty without pain" was her motto – but this time she was regretting not wearing a more sensible pair of shoes. _Of course, how the hell was I supposed to know that I was going to have to walk for __**miles**__ in them when I was debating which shoes to wear?_

She was exaggerating, of course – the drive leading to the mansion, while indisputably long, was in fact only three-quarters of a mile long. To a tired Sakura, however, it felt like the gravel road was never-ending. She was beginning to despair; Sakura was now seriously afraid she was going to melt. Either that or she would die of dehydration before she reached the Namikaze-Uzumaki mansion.

"Aaah!" The sudden cry scared the surrounding wildlife into fleeing, birds flying away from their roosts and little woodland creatures scurrying away into the underbrush.

Sakura, chest heaving after releasing such a loud yell, stomped her foot in the dirt and then moved off the road, settling in the shade provided by one of the large trees that lined the path. _I am __**not **__moving from this spot! I have walked __**way **__too much already; I deserve a rest. Someone will come by and find me eventually…_ Nodding her head in agreement to her own thoughts, Sakura scooted back until her back touched the bark of the tree.

"Oh!" Heat made its way to Sakura's cheeks, tinting her face a bright red. Her previous movement had caused the _fluid_ that was still inside her to slosh around a bit, and her still-wet (and most likely stained) panties to press uncomfortably against her body. The pink-haired girl had the sudden urge to take her panties off and throw them away into the woods, to hide the stained garment where nobody would ever find it. At the same time, however, she wanted to keep those panties forever and ever, for they were a physical reminder of the best sex she'd ever had.

Sakura shivered as she recalled the way her captor's dark eyes had shined with such intense lust as they gazed down at her naked body. It had made her feel so beautiful, so wanted, so _alive_. The previous night had been the longest and greatest night of passion she had ever experienced, and she had loved every minute of it. Her captor had been, hands down, the best partner she'd ever had.

_He even beat Itachi,_ she admitted guiltily, _but I'm sure that was only because Itachi wasn't in his right mind at the time_. _I'm sure the drug had something to do with it._

Sakura sincerely hoped that Itachi would perform better on their wedding night. And it would _have _to be on their wedding night – Iruka had clearly stated that there was to be no more premarital sex going on under his roof. He'd brought up the point that it would not be proper for Sakura to have sexual relations with her fiancé before the wedding (which was utter bull, in her opinion, since they'd gotten engaged _because_ they'd had sex), and she'd had to reluctantly agree. After giving that promise, Sakura had grudgingly accepted the fact that she would be celibate for the next week and a half.

At least, she _had _until last night, when, after one of their many rounds between the sheets, her captor had asked to meet her again. Having been offered confidential sex was an opportunity she hadn't expected and one that she couldn't afford to pass up. She, despite being a _proper _noble lady, still had needs that needed to be met.

She could not have sex with her fiancé until their wedding night – that was fine. Until then, Sakura had decided that she would take her captor up on his offer and continue to meet him for regular bouts of steamy sex. No one needed to know.

Even the fact that her captor was a peasant who had hijacked her carriage and then proceeded to kidnap her, and who had no family name at all (he was an orphan, she assumed) wouldn't deter her from meeting him again. He was much too handsome and talented when it came to the world of carnal pleasure to let such paltry things interfere. It wasn't like she was going to marry him or anything anyway, so the fact that he was nameless was unimportant. He would be a pleasurable pastime until it came time to become Mrs. Itachi Uchiha, Lady of the Uchiha Estate.

With a satisfied sigh, for everything was right with the world, Sakura rested her head back against the tree's wide trunk, peering up at the bright blue sky through the leafy branches. She would pass the time until someone heading towards the mansion came along by remembering the way that her handsome captor, after scaring her out of her wits, proceeded to sate her every need.

**~ SAVAGE HEARTS – THE BEGINNING OF A SECAPADE ~**

Sakura was terrified.

Despite being quite versed in the world of men, and being used to dallying with all sorts of men, she had never before found herself in a situation quite like this one. Unlike her present circumstances, she was used to being the one in control. _Sakura_ was the one who chose who she was going to be spending the night with (or perhaps the week, if her suitor was handsome and rich enough to hold her interest for that long), along with when and where they would meet. _She_ was the one who decided when she would put one of her many suitors out of his misery by giving him the time of day (or night, as the case often was).

In all the time she'd been playing the field, she'd never once had to deal with a man who overstepped his bounds by demanding her attentions, much less casually stating that he would touch her body as he wished, whether _she_ wished him to or not. Sakura had never considered the possibility of a situation like this arising – ladies like her just didn't get _raped_. Such things didn't - weren't _allowed _to - happen in her perfect world, much less to her.

So yes, Sakura was terrified – but she was **not**going tostandfor this kind of treatment!

"Seriously!" she hissed, her green eyes narrowed dangerously. "Do you _not_ know who I am? Have you never heard of the Namikaze-Uzumaki family? I can tell you right now; this sort of treatment won't go down easily with them! And don't you even _think_ of touching me, you filthy cretin! I'll blast your hands off with my chakra if you so much as try!"

Her captor snorted, and her blindfold was suddenly yanked from her head, quite a few strands of long pink hair being pulled along with it. "Ow!" Sakura whined, wincing at the slight pain. She desperately wanted to rub at the stinging pain in her scalp, but was unable to due to her hands being bound by a length of rope that chaffed horribly. Yet another complaint to add to the mental list of grievances that she fully planned to write out and hand to the arresting officers. Because Sakura truly believed that, surely, this man would soon be apprehended.

To help with that, Sakura opened her eyes and peered around the dim room – or, at least she tried to. It was much too dark to see much of anything. She did her best though, for she knew that any information she could give about this man's hideout would help the authorities arrest him that much faster.

The man scoffed, seeming to know what she was trying to do. "That won't help you, sweetheart. The only way you'll get out of here is if I _let_ you out of here – and that's something that won't be happening anytime soon."

Sakura narrowed her eyes but didn't reply. The man was mistaken and, in her mind, such an erroneous statement did not deserve a reply. She _would_ get out of here… somehow, eventually.

Her captor laughed at her stubbornness and touched her hair fondly. Sakura quickly jerked away from his touch, but she hadn't really needed to. The man had moved away almost as soon as he'd touched her – he was heading away from her, if the sound of his footsteps could be trusted. The _click_ of a light switch was heard before the room was bathed in a soft yellow light. The bulb was almost directly above her, but it still didn't help her visibility much. The bulb's light illuminated only part of the bedroom Sakura found herself in and even then only dimly. The far corners of the room were still cloaked in darkness.

Her captor, who was still standing by the light switch, had to be standing in the patch of light, a fact that Sakura immediately took advantage of. Her eyes searched out his form, and they widened once they found him. She was wholly unprepared for what she found.

_He's gorgeous!_ was the only thought that registered in her befuddled mind.

Her captor was a pale-skinned young man who appeared to be around her own age. His lower half was clothed in (_deliciously_) tight black pants, very similar in nature to the ones Sakura had seen Itachi wear as part of his ANBU uniform. She had to admit, though, even if only to herself, that this man filled them out in a way Itachi could only wish to compare to.

His upper body was clad in a loose white shirt with billowy sleeves and a gaping front cut into a deep V. It left very little to the imagination. _But, with a chest like that_, Sakura thought, gazing at the toned pectoral and abdominal muscles that were in full view unashamedly, _I can see why he wouldn't feel the need to cover up. Muscles that nice __**deserve**__ to be shown off._

The man's outfit was completed by his black ninja sandals (even though Sakura was sure he wasn't a ninja – he didn't have a village headband anywhere on his body) and the sword that he had strapped to his side with the help of a thin purple rope. (1)

What captured Sakura's attention the most were his eyes, though. They were a deep black color, a shade darker than even Itachi's soulful dark eyes, something that Sakura had previously thought impossible – until she met _this_ man, of course. And what Sakura found most interesting was that, despite the fact that her captor was a lowly thief, his eyes held a softer, kinder gleam than those of her fiancé.

The man moved to run a pale, long-fingered hand through his dark hair (that was cut in a strange fashion – he had long bangs framing either side of his angular face, but had it cut short in the back into gravity-defying spikes that were reminiscent of a duck's butt), a movement that served to bring Sakura back to the here and now – to the fact that it was her kidnapper that she was ogling.

Shaking her head to snap herself out of her momentary daze, Sakura bared her perfect white teeth at the man, trying to be threatening. Sakura's actions fell miserably flat and simply caused her captor to scoff at her efforts, most likely because it was hard to be threatening when lying helpless on a bed with her hands tied up.

The man stepped away from the wall, creeping slowly towards her. His smooth gait reminded Sakura of the way a panther stalked its prey, a mental image that didn't help her nerves. Her captor came to a stop right next to the bed, spending an unnerving minute just staring down at her with his dark eyes. Finally, after the longest, most excruciating pause Sakura had ever experienced in her life, he said, "Of course I know who you are…"

Sakura blinked. She hadn't been expecting such a short sentence after such a long pause. Maybe the man wasn't right in the head? Sneering, for she didn't like invalids (along with most of the lower-class, she considered invalids a taint to society), Sakura said, "Well then! You should know that it would be in your best interests to let me–"

"Of course I know who you are," the man repeated, interrupting the pink-haired girl, which cause an angry frown to materialize on her face. "I know that _you_ are Sakura Haruno, _cousin_ of Naruto and Gaara Namikaze-Uzumaki. _They _are the real members of the Namikaze-Uzumaki family. _You_ are nothing. Your mother was their aunt; at least she _was _until she was banished from the Uzumaki family, leaving her clanless and poor – leaving _you_ clanless and poor. Now you are merely an unwanted guest of the Namikaze-Uzumakis that turned into a permanent resident…"

Green eyes narrowed and Sakura let out an unladylike growl. "Who the hell do you think you are, to talk to _me_ like that? Let me go and we'll see how much you know, you stupid-"

Her captor chuckled, and it incensed Sakura even further. "Now, don't be like that, sweetheart. You were the one that asked, remember? I'm merely telling you what I know…" He stroked a hand down her face, smirking when she tried to bite at his fingers. "You want to know what _else_ I know?" he asked teasingly.

Sakura merely snarled at him, her green eyes nearly spitting fire. She hoped her body language was communicating her thoughts, which were _Go to hell, you scumbag!_

"Well, I'm going to tell you anyway," the dark-haired man said, shrugging away Sakura's lack of response. "_I_ know all about the Haruno family's _untimely_ demise…"

The pink-haired girl stilled completely, even ceasing in her previous fight against the ropes that bound her. Sakura pinned the man with an icy glare. "What are you talking about?" she hissed, "My parents died in an accident."

The man nodded, seeming very casual despite the fact that they were currently discussing a couple's early demise. "Yes, that _is_ what the authorities are saying, isn't it? Too bad they don't have contacts in the underground – they would know a whole different story then, wouldn't they?"

Sakura's already pale face paled further, leaving her skin a ghastly white color. "What do you want?" she questioned, still glaring but with her voice calm and accepting.

Her captor smirked. "Oh, honey, I think you already know what I want…" he drawled, crawling up the bed over her helpless form. His hands and knees came to rest on either side of her, effectively caging her in.

Sakura glared up at him. "Dream on! I already told you, try anything and I'll blast your hands off!"

The man laughed outright. Sakura felt like kicking herself because, despite everything, she still felt attracted to that soft, deep sound.

"Sweetheart, I hate to tell you this, but… I know something else!" her captor said, still chuckling. "I know that you don't _have_ any chakra to blast me with… At least, not nearly enough to be a match for me…"

Bound hands fisted and green eyes narrowed into a defiant glare, Sakura told her captor, her voice full of bravado, "I have enough to at least cause some damage!"

The man above her shook his head, black bangs swinging with the movement. "Oh, I don't think so," he drawled, smirking cockily. He ran his index finger across the seam of Sakura's lips, the action causing her to clench her lips tightly together, putting a stop to the reply that was about to come out of her mouth – exactly what he'd wanted in the first place. "You see," he said, releasing his chakra into an ominously dark cloud of pure _energy_ that was almost visible as it spread to envelop the entirety of the room, "I have much more chakra than you do."

And Sakura _did_ see. Against this man's, her chakra was like a speck of sand compared to a desert.

The man grinned at the way Sakura's shoulders, which had been previously squared defiantly, slumped in defeat. "That's more like it," he said, stroking that same finger down the side of her face gently. After winding slowly down her throat, it came to rest against her fluttering pulse. "Don't worry, sweetheart. I'll take _good_ care of you," he drawled, pitching his voice low.

Despite herself, Sakura shivered in slight anticipation. She couldn't help herself – the man just _oozed_ sex appeal.

With a smirk, her captor raised himself up onto his knees, working quickly to shed his barely-there white shirt. Sometime earlier (Sakura had no idea when), the man had rid himself of his sword and the rope that held it up, along with his black sandals. He was now straddling her in only his skintight black pants (and it really was _only_, since those pants were much too tight for him to be wearing anything underneath), seeming like something out of her fantasies.

"That's right, sweetheart. Eat your heart out," he said boldly, stretching his lean, strong arms up towards the ceiling. The muscles of his chest jumped lusciously under his pale skin, and Sakura found herself transfixed. Eager green eyes watched greedily as his hands made their way back down his body, seeming to caress his own skin. The sight was tantalizing.

Sakura desperately wished her hands were free – not to escape, as she'd wanted earlier, but to allow her to _touch_.

Seeming to have read her mind, her captor reached down to free her hands, ripping the ropes away from her wrists with his bare hands. He then proceeded to yank her pink and white dress over her head, leaving her lying on the bed in only her pale pink bra and panties.

Leering down at her, the man whistled and said, "Now isn't that a pretty sight?"

Sakura blushed. Despite having been with plenty of other men (and having gotten over her shyness a long time ago), she was still feeling self-conscious under this man's gaze.

"Sweetheart, there's no need to be shy. I like when my lovers are loud in bed – especially if they're screaming my name!" he said arrogantly, running one hand through her long pink strands while the other was stroking down one of her arms. Blinking, seeming to realize something, he looked down at her and said, "It's Sasuke, by the way." Seeing the blank look in her green eyes, he added, "My name – it's Sasuke."

"S-Sasuke?" she stammered out, curious. "Just Sasuke? No family name?"

Her captor – Sasuke's – black eyes seemed to become instantly distant and cool, nothing like the heated stares he'd been giving her previously. "No, no last name. I didn't give one to you, did I?"

His glare seemed so icy that it instantly froze Sakura to her spot. The glare served to cool the lust that had been rising steadily within her. No matter how handsome this man was, he was still the man who had kidnapped her; he was still dangerous.

Seeing the way the pink-haired girl shrank back away from him, Sasuke made an effort to calm down. "In this world," he explained, his tone somber, "a family name is all that matters. If your last name is important enough, then you will be recognized and treated well wherever you go. Respect does not have to be earned; it is given whether you personally deserve it or not."

Sasuke saw that Sakura didn't grasp what he was saying. He sighed. "I guess you wouldn't understand, being from a privileged background. You're used to all the perks that come from being from a well-known family. But for someone like me, who has been scorned all his life because of the lack of a family name, it's not the same. I don't like being reminded that not only do I not have an _important_ family name, I don't have one at all."

He scoffed and remarked sarcastically, "Although, being a thief, I guess not being instantly recognized is good, ne?" His smile was a mockery; it held no amusement in it at all. "If you _must _know, the authorities gave me a nickname," Sasuke continued, smirking at the way Sakura instantly perked up and gazed at him curiously. "They call me Sasuke, Son of the Devil."

Seeing the way Sakura's eyes widened at the name, Sasuke rolled his own. "I guess you'veheard of me, then."

Sakura's green eyes were still in their rounded shape; surprise was easy to see in her gaze. Of course she'd heard of him! The Son of the Devil was the elusive thief that plagued the elemental countries' noble clans. He was rumored to sneak in during the night and make away with most of the family's riches, no matter how many guards were in place to protect their belongings. The next day, he proceeded to give away the money gained from his heist to the needy poor, keeping only a bit of the bounty for himself. He was a modern-day Robin Hood.

Sakura had always thought that, if she ever came across this pillaging man, this _Son of the Devil_, she'd give him a piece of her mind. Faced with him though, she thought he deserved a reward for what he was doing. _Most of the clans he steals from gain their money through illegal means, anyway. They probably deserved what they got._ She of course conveniently forgot how _she_ had gotten her own money.

"I had no idea that was you," she breathed, astounded at the discovery.

Sasuke laughed, sending pleasant shivers up Sakura's spine. "Well, I don't make it a habit of telling people who I am – that would make it hard to stay secret, don't you think?"

Sakura nodded, feeling silly, something she had not experienced for quite a while.

"Now," Sasuke said, caressing Sakura's bare stomach, which successfully brought her attention back to the fact that she was only wearing her undergarments while he was only in his pants, "I believe we have much more _fun_ things to be doing than talking about my secret identity…"

**~ SAVAGE HEARTS - THE BEGINNING OF A SEXCAPADE – **_**END**_

(1) I pretty much just described Sasuke's Shippuden outfit in a sexy manner. I only changed his big purple butt bow for a small purple rope 'cause that butt bow freaks me out.

REVIEW REPLIES [for chapter 8]:

Shirookamiinu: Haha, yes, Sakura's face will be priceless, I guarantee it. ;) As for love at first sight… Well, while Naruto leans towards guys, Sasuke hasn't experience the joys of being gay just yet. I'm afraid he won't fall in love quite so easily. Will lust at first sight do?

Xxgabigailxx: [for chapter 3] Thank you for thinking my story is cute despite the beginning being ItaNaru! I try [for chapter 5] Yes, she is, isn't she? [for chapter 8] Haha. Should I start referring to Sakura as "that thing" in the story? It could fit in some scenes…

xXPierceMyHeartXx: Thank you for giving me your honest opinion, and I'm sorry to hear that you can no longer enjoy my story. While I respect your opinion, I must point out that while Naruto _did _agree to go to the wedding, he never stated that he forgave her. Naruto said, and I quote, "Fine. Let's _say_ I believe you..." Also, please take note that the title of the chapter was "the _beginning_ of a pardon." Yes, Naruto doesn't like to make girls cry – that doesn't mean he's completely stupid. He was _beginning_ to buy into her "I'm drunk!" excuse in chapter 8, but that does not mean he'll fall for it completely.

KitsuneNaru: Some of your requests will be granted! You'll just have to read on to find out which ones ;)

KoTenshi: Thank you for liking my story :) As for Sasuke sleeping with Sakura… I'm sure you got your answer in both this chapter and last! –sweatdrop- Sorry I didn't answer last chapter, when this answer would've been more relevant… And I'm pretty sure the other story you're referring to is Phantomsnow's _Savages of the Heart_. As we are both basing our stories off the same show, our plots will be similar in some things ;)

Takuya: Yes, that _would_ be a good way for Karma to snap its fingers in Sakura's face and say, "In your face, biatch!" Unfortunately, I can't say this will turn out that way :( I _can_ say that Naruto will eventually be known as Lord (Lady) Uchiha as well, though…

WindFall Lucivar: Ack! I don't want any of my readers to die of suspense! Sakura _does_ have an appointment with Karma, but their final showdown won't come around till the end of the story… The first signs of it won't be for maybe another… 5 chapters?

Kitty Tokyo Uzumaki: Thank you very much for saying I'm awesome! –blush- As you probably noticed last chapter, Sasuke is now in the story! More of his background was given in _this_ chapter, but since this is at the END of said chapter, you've probably seen that by now… -sweatdrop- As for the jealousy thing… Definitely in my plans! ;)


	11. The End of a Lie

Sorry it's been so long, guys! I seriously didn't mean to take so long to post. I've had this chapter in mind for quite a while, but RL decided to interrupt.

First I couldn't get around to typing because I was working 60 plus hours a week… Then life decided I hadn't yet suffered enough and my laptop's screen broke. So not only did I not have time to write and had to live without an internet connection, but I also had to suffer through a couple of weeks with a broken laptop.

I just got around to taking it to the shop this week because I couldn't afford it before. It cost me 200 dollars to fix the darn screen! Most of my paycheck had already gone towards my first college payment (865 dollars! Why did I pick a private school again?), so it took me a while.

But I finally got it back today [I was afraid the shop was going to be closed, what with Hurricane Alex and all, but the geeks are resilient and opened today] and immediately started typing what I had written out [writing chapters by hand sucks]. I am now going to post this without any of the review responses I promised because the power just went out and my battery is dying. I will now pray that this storm passes quickly and the power outage is fixed. I am getting very hot with the windows closed and no fans running. T.T

**Disclaimer: **I don't own

**Warnings: **eh, language and mentions of [legal in this world] teen drinking

**Notes:** I will try very hard to answer reviews next chapter! Promise! [I do want to mention that I was very amused with the response for the last 2 chapters. First everyone hated my guts for chapter 9 and then everyone apologized and said they loved chapter 10. It made me giggle]

**~ SAVAGE HEARTS – THE END OF A LIE ~**

_That was unexpected._ Honey-brown eyes regarded the pensive blond teen before her. The Godaime Hokage was used to seeing a wide grin plastered across that tanned face – a smile so blindingly _cheerful_ that she usually had to quench the urge to punch it off. Now, however, she was faced with Naruto's down-turned lips and furrowed brow. To Tsunade's great surprise, she found herself missing the teen's usual expression, no matter how much it previously annoyed her.

Tsunade released a soft sigh. The only reaction the blond teen had to the noise was a blink of his dimmed blue eyes. Naruto appeared almost catatonic. It was starting to scare her a little bit. His usual reaction to unpleasant news was a long rant accompanied by pacing. Animated hand gestures were also frequent symptoms, often resulting in scattered paperwork or broken furniture. This complete stillness was unprecedented.

"Naruto," Tsuande finally said, biting her lower lip and sending a worried glance at the clock hanging on one of her office walls. Nearly forty minutes had passed since Sakura had left the office, and yet Naruto hadn't moved a muscle. "I think you should take the rest of the day off."

Nothing. This time, Naruto didn't' even bother to blink. Tsunade had been expecting a much larger reaction. Naruto hated taking time off from training, especially now that the old scrooges on the Council had raised the requirements for Hokage to ANBU level.

It was Naruto's personal goal to not only become Hokage, but to do so at a younger age than his own father, the youngest Hokage to date. The Yondaime, Minato Namikaze, had been inaugurated shortly before his 22nd birthday. If Naruto wanted to accomplish his goal, he had only 4 years to meet all of the Council's requirements.

To a civilian, this would seem like plenty of time, but any ninja worth his headband knew how difficult it was to pass the ANBU exam. The ANBU were the best of the best, and not many ninjas ever reached that leve3l. In Konoha, only two ninjas could claim to have reached ANBU level before the age of 20 – Naruto's ex-fiancé, Itachi Uchiha, and the Yondaime's ex-student, Kakashi Hatake. Naruto had his work cut out for him.

_And he knows it_, Tsunade thought, shaking her head slightly. _He's been training every day from sunrise to sunset. If this whole mess was good for anything, it's that it renewed Naruto's drive._

She sighed. _It's unfortunate that it had to happen because he's finally learned that the curse that goes with this office is real. __**All your loved ones eventually disappear. **__ I'd rally hoped Naruto could avoid becoming yet another victim. _Tsunade's honey-brown eyes softened in sympathy and remembered pain.

Not many people knew of the 'curse' she spoke of. Only the Hokages themselves knew about it. The curse had started with Tsunade's own grandfather, the first Hokage of Konoha. Only a month after his inauguration, his wife had died, leaving him to care for Tsunade's young father alone. Soon, Shodaime fell ill and became incapable of successfully leading the village.

The post was then handed over to Shodaime's borther, Tsunade's grand-uncle. A bachelor, the curse had no loved ones to affect. The curse seemed to be circumvented – but not for long. As soon as Nidaime became engaged, tragedy struck. Both he and his fiancée perished. Tsunade would never get to meet him.

The title of Hokage was then passed on to Sarutobi, who had been one of Shodaime's students. The only thing that prevented the third Hokage from feeling too much loss was his own untimely death. In fact, the curse didn't manifest until 4 years later, once he was dead and buried. It struck at the time of his grandson's birth. On that night, Sandaime lost both his son and daughter-in-law, leaving his poor grandson Konohamaru alone.

After Sarutobi, the title went to Naruto's father, the young blond man known as "the yellow flash," Minato Namikaze. Of course, everyone in Konoha knew what caused _his_ death – the sapping of most of his energy after he sealed away the two demons that had laid waste to Konoha. His lover's death was just as well-known, for she had died giving birth to the two young boys that now housed the aforementioned demons.

It had been from Minato that Tsunade learned of the curse, just like he'd learned of it from Sarutobi. When he'd given her the warning, Tsunade had laughed. She'd said, "If this 'curse' were real, then I'd have heard of it from my grandfather, or maybe Sarutobi," who had been her own teacher. Minato had not replied, merely looked at her with sad, compassionate eyes. Despite their age difference, att that time, Minato had seemed eons older than her, with all the wisdom that came with such longevity.

_And he was right. The curse exists._ Tsuande now knew first hand just how potent the curse was. After her own inauguration, the curse that she'd discounted took effect, leaving her alone without the support of her younger brother or her lover, Dan. Now, despite _looking _young, Tsuande was getting on in years, and was looking forward to naming her successor and then retiring.

Tsunade, while never announcing it officially, had always known that Naruto would be the next Hokage. Her only other choices were horrible: Gaara had never shown interest and Konohamaru was simply too young. She was now wondering if tit had been her own conviction in Naruto's future appointment that had triggered the curse early. _If it was, then I am truly sorry, Naruto._

Tsunade took a second to close her eyes and put a lid on her wayward emotions. _That's enough reminiscing. It doesn't matter what caused these things to happen, just that they have. Now we have to deal with them and move on. _Tsunade cleared her throat and flipped one of her blonde ponytails over her shoulder.

"Naruto!" Tsunade cried, honey-brown eyes as strong and fierce as they ever were, not showing her previous moments of emotional weakness. "Get a grip on yourself!"

This time, Tsunade's sharp tone seemed to penetrate the fog that surrounded Naruto's mind. He jumped in place, blinking startled blue eyes. "W-what's up, baa-chan?"

The Hokage's eyes narrowed at the title, but let it go. She had more important things to yell about. "What do you mean, what's up? You've been standing there like a zombie for the past hour! You're interrupting my work!" Tsunade frowned at him, raising a slender hand to point at her office door. "Get the hell out of here!"

Naruto was still a bit out of it, so he simply nodded and moved to follow the blonde woman's directions. Just as he was about to pull open the door, Tsunade cleared her throat. He turned back, looking at her over his shoulder, his gaze questioning.

"Naruto?" Tsunade said more calmly, her honey-brown eyes no longer as stern. "Take a few days off, okay? Take care of yourself."

At first, Naruto's body had stiffened, but after processing the genuine concern in Tsunade's voice, his tightly clenched muscles relaxed. Blue eyes met brown, and a quick battle of wills commenced. After just a few seconds, Naruto conceded defeat and gave a curt nod, acknowledging Tsunade's request. "I'll see you later, baa-chan," were the blond teen's parting words.

Minutes after the door had _clicked_ closed behind him, Tsuande was still gazing after him. She shook herself and reminded herself that she still had a big pile of paperwork to go through.

But even when she had a report open in front of her, she still couldn't concentrate. Big blots of ink now littered the report's surface, having dripped off her pen after she took too long to read through it and get to the signing part. What would have usually taken her five minutes to read now took her at least three times as long. The words just weren't making sense to her muddled mind.

Tsunade groaned and placed her decorative fountain pen down on the desk, pushing the report away from her with the other hand. She then raised both and massaged her now fiercely throbbing forehead. "Brat, if I didn't love you so much, I would punch you so hard you'd end up in Suna!" She sighed. _Be safe, kid. If anyone deserves happiness, it's you._

**~ SAVAGE HEARTS – THE END OF A LIE ~**

Naruto was in a daze as he wandered out of the Hokage's office, down many flights of stairs, and past many offices and cubicles.

The workers in the Hokage Tower waved at him as he passed, used to seeing the blond making his way in and out of Tsunade's office. This time, however, the blond teen didn't wave back. Naruto ignoring their greetings was unusual, to say the least, and it caused many concerned looks to appear.

But Naruto was just too out of it to care or even take notice. He was so out of it, in fact, that he hadn't realized he'd cleared the building until he was jostled accidentally by a villager.

Naruto blinked. _Huh?_ Blue eyes looked around in confusion.

Somehow, Naruto had unconsciously made his way around the expansive Hokage Tower by way of the crowded main street. He now stood gazing at the dark wood door that guarded the entrance to the mission room, surrounded by a steady stream of people that had to walk around him in order to continue on their way.

Normally, the angry mutters of the villagers (that he could easily detect and decipher, thanks to his Kyuubi-enhanced hearing) would have caused him to blush and quickly shuffle out of the way. Today, however, Naruto just couldn't seem to care. Only the opening of the mission room's door brought Naruto out of the strange funk he'd fallen into.

"Kiba!" Naruto shouted, finally moving forward, out of the stream of traffic, in order to greet his long-time friend.

Kiba had come into Naruto's life many years ago, being one of the first friends the blond had made after starting the Academy. Back then, Kiba had been a headstrong little boy, often starting fights with the other children when they dared to disagree with him. Kiba had pretty much been the classroom bully.

Naruto had been the witness to one such fight on his first day, and had immediately jumped in to defend Kiba's victim. Even at the young age of 4, Naruto had been very vocal about his belief in fairness and justice. Kiba, who had always been a large boy, was not only twice as big as the other child, but he also had his canine companion, Akamaru, to back him up.

Naruto could not let such an unfair confrontation happen. He jumped in with no consideration to the fact that he was officially the smallest boy in the class, smaller even than some of the girls. It was this bold action that caught Kiba's attention and earned his respect. They'd been thick as thieves ever since.

Now, 13 years later, Kiba was still Naruto's best friend. Physically, the other teen was still larger than Naruto, and his dog Akamaru was now as large as a small horse. Thankfully, the other teen had matured emotionally as well as physically. While still headstrong and hot-headed, he no longer picked on others or intentionally started fights.

Secretly, Naruto was very relieved about this. Kiba _was_ very big, and Naruto couldn't match him in sheer physical strength. Not without using a power boost from Kyuubi, at least, something that he would never do against a comrade.

"Naruto!" the brawny ninja said, wrapping a tan arm around Naruto's neck and proceeding to give him a playful noogie. "What's up, man?" Kiba asked, releasing the other teen to run a hand through his shaggy brown hair. "Are you coming to get a mission?"

Naruto's bright blue eyes dimmed and he shook his head. "No," he said, looking away into the crowd, "Baa-chan just ordered me to take a few days off."

Kiba winced, the bright smile that had previously stretched the red triangles tattooed on his cheeks quickly disappearing. "I, ah…" Kiba stammered, fiddling with his jounin vest, "I heard what happened with Itachi…"

Naruto nodded, biting his lip. _By now, who hasn't?_ The past few days Naruto had been stopped in the streets many times by strangers that wanted to impart their sympathies. Apparently, they thought that their support would somehow make a difference; that it would help to alleviate his pain. All Naruto really wanted was to be left alone in his misery. Others knowing about his embarrassment just made it worse.

Kiba clapped his large hands onto Naruto's shoulders. The movement brought Naruto's wandering blue eyes back to his friend. "I just want you to know," Kiba said, his tone unusually somber, "I'm here for you, buddy, no matter what. You know that, right?"

Naruto smiled, his eyes warming, returning to their usual brilliant blue shade. "Yeah," he said, nodding his blond head. "Yeah, I know. Thanks, buddy." Naruto patted the hands that were still gripping his shoulders.

Kiba nodded. Then, catching one of the strange looks the passing villagers were throwing them, he coughed and withdrew his hands. "Right. Well, now that _that's _over with, let's go!"

Naruto blinked, tilting his head. "Go where?"

Kiba grinned roguishly. "You'll see!" Reaching over Naruto (something that was easy due to his height advantage), he loosened Naruto's headband and drew it down over Naruto's confused blue eyes. With the shorter teen now blindfolded, Kiba laughed as he pushed Naruto down the street.

**~ SAVAGE HEARTS – THE END OF A LIE ~**

The journey seemed to take forever, but really took less than 20 minutes. The discomfort of being blindfolded was what made the time seem to drag. After all, thanks to the Kyuubi Naruto usually enjoyed above average eyesight, and to go from that to this kind of complete blindness was discomforting, to say the least. But fortunately for Naruto, who had been growing increasingly anxious as the minutes passed, Kiba finally pulled him to a stop, saying, "We're here!" With calloused fingers, Kiba yanked the headband away from Naruto's eyes.

Blue eyes immediately opened, but just as quickly closed. Such bright sunlight after getting accustomed to the dark provided by the blindfold was painful. Opening his eyes more slowly, Naruto looked at their final destination.

The building they were standing in front of was familiar. Naruto had been there quite a few times before, both with Kiba as well as with other people. The outside of the building was painted a dark blue, the paint peeling off in some places. The windows were made of a dark glass, preventing people passing by from looking in easily. The most important part, though, was the sign hanging directly above the rusty metal door.

"A bar? You brought me to a bar?" Naruto burst out, turning to pin Kiba with an incredulous look.

Kiba looked over at the sign reading "Kiki's Bar" proudly. "Yup! What's wrong with that? I thought you could use some cheering up! What better place to do that than a bar?"

Naruto sighed. Not many people knew that he couldn't get drunk. Most of the people he came here with (usually his teammates) were the type to drink hard and fast, resulting in them getting completely wasted. By the end of the night, they were too out of it to notice that Naruto was still completely sober, despite the fact that he drank just as much as they did.

With some trepidation, Naruto finally said, "Okay. Let's go in."

**~ SAVAGE HEARTS – THE END OF A LIE ~**

"Hey! Hey bartender!" Kiba called, slapping his palm on the bar repeatedly. "Another round!"

Naruto sighed and sent an apologetic glance at the young man who quickly appeared to refill their shot glasses. Kiba was a happy drunk, and Naruto was used to dealing with his exuberance. This new bartender, however, wasn't. It was evident that he didn't appreciate being treated this way by the exasperated glances he sent Kiba every time the brunet yelled for him. Sometime between Naruto's last visit and now, this red-haired young man – who was named Zuko, if his nametag could be believed – had replaced the older gentleman who used to man the bar. For some reason, the absence of the old man, Kiki, the owner and namesake of the bar, filled Naruto with sadness.

_Everything is changing, _he thought morosely, _except for me. I'm still the same, if not worse…_

Picking up his newly filled drink, Naruto toasted the young man – more of a boy, really – and then drank it all down in one swallow. "Ah," he said, licking his lips and savoring the burn, "That was good." He set the glass back down in front of the astonished bartender. "Fill her up," Naruto ordered, and then reconsidered. "Actually, you better make it a double."

Kiba chortled. "That's my man!" The brunet quickly knocked back his own drink and then leaned over to clap Naruto heartily on the back. As he moved to sit back down on his own stool, Kiba overbalanced and nearly fell over.

Naruto quickly caught one of Kiba's flailing arms and pulled him back onto his seat. To be on the safe side, Naruto decided to drape Kiba's inebriated body over the bar top. "There you go, buddy. Don't move around too much, you hear?"

Seeing his new glass, Naruto promptly drained that one too.

Looking put out, the bartender placed the entire bottle in front of him. "How about I just leave this here?" he said, his tone a bit snarky.

Narrowing his eyes, Naruto answered, "That's a good idea. Old man Kiki figured it out after the third round. It took you almost four times as long." His tone was calm, but the offense was still there.

Normally, Naruto would never dream of saying such a thing, but today he needed to vent and he'd discovered that when others thought you were drunk, they'd let you get away with almost anything. This young man was no exception. Despite the incredibly rude way Naruto had just spoken to him, Zuko the bartender just pursed his lips and walked away. After at least 10 rounds (Naruto lost track of exactly how many), it was safe to say that any other man would be drunk out of his mind. Kiba, who had only had half that amount, was already completely shit-faced. The bartender must not have wanted to deal with two drunken ninja.

Naruto leaned forward onto the bar, his pose similar to Kiba's. _Sakura said she was drunk. That she didn't know what she was doing… _Naruto sighed, running a hand through his spiky blond hair. _I wish I could believe that. I wish it was all that simple – that both of them were drunk out of their minds and can't be held responsible for their actions because of it. If that were the case, then the villagers would talk (they __**always**__talk), but it wouldn't be nearly as scandalous as a __**betrayal**__._

At the reminder, Naruto winced and picked up the bottle, pouring himself another drink. The alcohol didn't have much of an effect, intoxication-wise, but Naruto found the burn it caused soothing. Kiba had been right – this _had _been what he'd needed.

_If this really were just a horrible mistake… Then I think I could forgive them – forgive __**him.**__If it's a mistake, I'm sure the villagers will eventually forget about it, especially if we paid off those who saw what happened in the kitchen… And if we couldn't, who really cares what they think of Sakura? She's not __**really**__ part of our family…_ (Even Naruto, who was forgiving to a fault, was allowed to have mean thoughts about the person who single-handedly destroyed his dreams.)

_Of course, _he continued, running a finger around the rim of his glass as he thought, _this all depends on whether or not it was really a drunken mistake… _Naruto recalled Sakura's victorious smile, making his hand clench around his glass. _From what I remember, it didn't __**look**__ like much of a mistake. _A flash of Itachi thrusting into her; Sakura's loud moans of pleasure. _And Itachi hasn't come to see me or even sent word of an apology. _He remembered grabbing Itachi, sending him crashing into the wall. _Could he be mad that I not only caught him, but interrupted him?_

Naruto frowned, grabbing the bottle and taking a long swig directly from it. Slamming it down onto the bar, he wiped his lips with the cuff of his long-sleeved orange shirt.

_The only way to know for sure is to ask someone who can actually get drunk. _His eyes landed on Kiba, who was still sprawled across the top of the bar, his brown eyes glazed and half-closed. _He should do…_

"Kiba!" Naruto yelled, shaking the brunet's shoulder roughly. "Wake up!"

Kiba's eyes snapped open all the way. He lifted his head, still looking a bit dazed. "Huh? Whash goin' on?"

"I need to ask you something."

Naruto's serious tone managed to register in Kiba's heavily inebriated mind, helping to clear some of the fog. Shaking his head, Kiba made the effort to sit up. He didn't quite manage to sit up all the way straight, but it was still an improvement from his previous position. "Okaay," he slurred, trying to blink away the rest of the grogginess. "Shoot."

Naruto faced his friend head-on, his blue eyes the most serious Kiba had ever seen them. "What happens when you're drunk?"

Kiba blinked, not quite sure what to make of that question. If his friend's face didn't look so serious, he would have burst out laughing. "Oh," he said, scratching at his ear. "Well…" he stalled, trying to think up an appropriate answer. "We all do some dumb shit when we're drunk."

Naruto nodded, looking contemplative. "Does sleeping with other people's fiancés happen a lot?"

Kiba choked on the mouthful of alcohol he'd just swallowed. Naruto dutifully clapped him on the back, waiting patiently for his answer. Once he'd regained the ability to breathe, Kiba slapped away Naruto's hand. "No, man!" Kiba cried out, wiping his face with a napkin. "Of course not!"

Seeing the way Naruto's face fell, Kiba frowned. "Wait," he said, rubbing his temples, "Is that what Sakura and Itachi tried to tell you?"

Naruto nodded, looking downcast. "Sakura," he muttered quietly. Apparently, Sakura was lying. Itachi and Sakura's affair was not a mistake. There was no hope of reconciliation with Itachi. Somehow, the pieces of Naruto's heart splintered just a bit more.

"Ah, Naruto…" Kiba sighed, wanting nothing more than to finish his drink, but knowing that he would need all the mental faculties he still had for the upcoming conversation. "Listen, when you're drunk, all that really happens is that you lose your…" Kiba trailed off, running a hand through his hair. _What's that word, again? _He was now desperately wishing Naruto had waited to have this discussion when he was more clear-headed. He tugged at a strand of his brown hair, hard. The pain worked to alleviate some of the lingering haze that had settled over his mind.

"Ah, yes, I remember. You lose your inhibition!" Seeing Naruto's blank face, he simplified. "Basically, it means that when you're drunk, you forget about everything that's been holding you back. You are no longer scared; you don't worry. If you want something, you go for it. Alcohol is pretty much liquid courage." Kiba looked at his friend, searching his face for comprehension. "You understand?"

Naruto nodded. He understood, alright. He understood that Sakura had been lying through her teeth. Even if she _had_ been drunk, she still could have rejected Itachi's advances. If she really _hadn't_ wanted to have sex with him, Naruto was sure that Itachi wouldn't have forced her. As for Itachi… Well, Naruto didn't know _what_ to think about him…

Naruto sighed, pushing his stool back and standing. "I think I'm going to head back to my apartment."

Kiba nodded, but then stopped, confused. "Since when do you have an apartment? You used to commute all the way here every day."

Naruto pursed his lips. "Since I decided I couldn't live in the same house as my dear cousin Sakura."

"Fair enough," Kiba conceded, nodding his head. He wouldn't want to live with her either. Who knew what else she could get up to while you were asleep?

Naruto clapped a hand onto Kiba's back. "Will you be okay getting home?"

Kiba grinned, waving a hand to dispel Naruto's concern. "Yeah, don't worry about it. This conversation pretty much killed my buzz."

Naruto nodded. "I'll see you later, then," he said, taking out his wallet. He threw some bills onto the bar, more than enough to cover both their drinks. With a last smile and wave to Kiba, Naruto exited the bar.

Once the metal door closed behind the blond, Kiba turned back to nurse his drink. "Yeeeah," he drawled, "That smile was _so_ fake." With a sigh, he knocked back the rest. "All that damn drama killed my buzz."

**~ SAVAGE HEARTS – THE END OF A LIE ~**

Please review and keep your fingers crossed that Hurricane Alex doesn't do any major damage!


	12. The End of a Dream

Hello all! Here I am with Savage Hearts, chapter 12! I hope you enjoy this chapter, even though it's quite different in tone than the others. It's a transitional chapter in which Naruto is sad :(

**Disclaimer: **Don't own anything!

**Warning: **Slight bit of language, that's it

**Notes:** A big THANK YOU to everyone that's reviewed! I love you all. And I kept my promise – review replies are located at the end! Special shout out to **Serenityofthematrix**, who read and reviewed EVERY SINGLE CHAPTER! I truly find that amazing. Thanks so much!

Also, I received a PM from an angry reader saying that I was ripping off Phantomsnow's original story _Savages of the Heart._ I don't know if that person is still reading, but I'd like to say: I mentioned in the FIRST CHAPTER that this story was inspired by Corazon Salvaje, which is the same novela that inspired Phantomsnow's fic. I'd also like to say: Hello? If I was going to rip off someone's story, I WOULDN'T MENTION IT, by name and author, in the first chapter.

Thank you, that is all.

**~ SAVAGE HEARTS – THE END OF A DREAM ~**

"Home sweet home," the morose blond teenager said, staring at the front door of his cheap, run-down apartment. The wood was painted a sickening shade of green, a color that reminded Naruto heavily of vomit. Attached to the center of the door was a gold-plated _29_. The number was tilted slightly to the right, showing that before being painted such a horrible shade of green, the door had been a more respectable dark red.

Heaving a deep sigh of regret, Naruto reached into his pocket to take out his keys. _If only Iruka could see me now, _he thought, struggling to turn the key in the rusty old lock. _He would have a heart attack if he ever finds out where I'm living now._

After leaving the Namikaze-Uzumaki residence without any sort of warning or goodbye, having taken only his wallet and a bag full of clothes and his most precious personal possessions, Naruto, for once in his life, had found himself without a place to stay. When he'd gone to Tsunade, requesting the finalization of his Hokage training, he'd lied and said he already had a place prepared. Not wanting her to find out why exactly he'd left his home and arrived at her office in the early hours of the morning, Naruto misled her into believing he'd been renting an apartment in the village for quite a while already. In reality, Naruto was homeless and had to spend the rest of the day hunting for an unoccupied apartment that he could afford with the modest amount of money he had in his wallet. Naruto might be a rich heir to a noble clan, but he wasn't used to carrying around large amounts of money – he was paying for that now.

Right about the time Naruto had been considering returning to the mansion to ask Iruka for more money (something he _really_ didn't want to do), Naruto came upon this grungy apartment building. Like the apartments it housed, the outside of the building hadn't been much to look at. Made out of dull gray cement, the building was 3 stories high, with 10 apartments on each floor. The only thing that had attracted Naruto's eye was the large yellow banner plastered across the front of the building. It read, "Many apartments available at incredibly low rates!" in large red letters.

Naruto had always been attracted to such bright colors, and this time was no exception – he was immediately drawn in. Making up his mind, he went in to investigate. The building manager was eventually found (after a lengthy search – those signs were all wrong! It was almost like they were _meant_ to confuse instead of help people) in a small office in the rear of the building, perusing a familiar dirty novel with a bright orange cover. "Gah! Another pervert!" Naruto cried involuntarily, pointing at the surprised man. "Why are all old men such perverts?"

"E-Excuse me?" the manager sputtered, pushing his round, dark-tinted glasses up his suddenly bright red nose. "Who do you think you are, to tell me such things?" The man's agitated tone was echoed by his sharp movements. The speed at which he threw the book into his desk drawer and then stood caused several strands of his brown hair to escape the bandana he was using to cover it and hold it in place.

Naruto blinked. "Er…" _My mouth got away from me again! I hope this won't make him deny me,_ he thought worriedly, biting his bottom lip. "Um, I was hoping to rent an apartment?" he asked, sounding hopeful.

"Oh!" The brunet manager deflated, his anger seeming to dissipate instantly. He coughed, taking a moment to fix his hair back into its bandana. Pushing his glasses up his nose again, the man sat back down in his chair and motioned for Naruto to have a seat as well. "What kind of apartment were you looking for?" he questioned, peering at Naruto intently (the blond couldn't see his eyes, but he could certainly _feel_ them). "One bedroom, two?" the man prompted, seeing his blank look. "Do you want a bathroom with a shower, or would you prefer a bath? Did you want a balcony?"

Naruto shifted in the hard plastic chair he'd been offered. "Uh, I need a one bedroom apartment," he finally answered, blinking his eyes as he tried to make up his mind quickly. The man seemed to be waiting for his answers impatiently. "I prefer to shower, but a bath is fine, too… And, uh, a balcony would be nice, but not necessary."

"Marvelous!" the manager said, sounding much more pleasant now. "I have the perfect apartment in mind for you! It's on the second floor, right at the end of the hall, so you'll have plenty of privacy." The man gave Naruto a searching look. "You're a ninja, correct?" He didn't give Naruto a chance to answer. "Yes, yes, I knew right when I saw you," the man said confidently, nodding his head rapidly. "I used to be a ninja too, you know."

The blond gave the man a polite smile. "I'm sure you were great." _Were – past tense. __**Way **__ past._

The man chuckled. "Oh, I was! I can still recite each and every law in the Konoha law book from memory," the man said proudly, pushing his glasses up yet again. "It's been a few years since I gave up the life of a ninja, though. Sometimes I miss the adrenaline rush, but I'm content with the life I'm living now, for the most part. Being the manager of this apartment building gives me plenty of free time to use as I wish."

Naruto sent the drawer in which the manager had stashed his copy of _Icha Icha_ a knowing look. _I'm sure I can guess what most of that free time is spent on,_ he thought, wrinkling his nose in distaste.

Everyone who willingly read those books was a huge pervert in Naruto's view. His own godfather, the self-proclaimed _Super Pervert_ Jiraiya, was the author of the _Icha Icha_ series. Naruto knew first-hand how smutty those books were, having been asked to be part of Jiraiya's editing team. Poor 12 year old Naruto had not known any better, and had agreed to read _Icha Icha Paradisu_, Jiraiya's first novel. After that, his innocence was forever tarnished and he was traumatized for life. Perhaps that was why Naruto batted for the other team.

Naruto cleared his throat, catching the manager's wandering attention. "About that apartment…" he said, hoping to finish this up soon. The gleam in the older man's eye was making him uncomfortable.

"Ah, yes!" the manager said, sitting up straight. The man's hands were suddenly in a flurry of motion, grabbing a sheet from this cabinet and another from that one, not stopping until there was a sizable stack in front of Naruto's astonished eyes. "This is all standard procedure," the manager said, spreading the forms across the surface of the desk. Naruto noticed that most of the documents were several pages long.

"This one here," he said, pointing at the first one, "Says that you agree to leave a damage deposit." The finger moved to the next one. "This one says that you won't cause any overly large noise that might disturb your neighbors. You don't have any neighbors right now, but just in case," the man added quickly, noticing Naruto's raised brow. "This one says that you are conscious that the building's laundry machines are coin-operated and located in the basement for everyone to share." The finger moved again. "This one says that management, that's me, has a week to fix any problems that might pop up, such as a broken appliance or burned out light bulb." The finger moved to the last sheet. "And finally, this one says that the rent is due at the end of every month, and that you must agree to lease the apartment for a minimum of 3 months." The man sat back, interlaced his fingers on the desk, and smiled at the blond, not the least bit winded from talking so fast for so long.

Naruto's blue eyes were wide, staring at the tiny print on each of the documents. He had no intention of reading those things – he had enough trying to process the condensed version the man had just rattled off. He'd just have to take this man's word for it. He accepted the pen the man offered and wrote his initials or signed his name wherever the man indicated.

"Naruto Uzumaki?" the man said questioningly, reading Naruto's messy signature upside down. "Uzumaki? That sounds familiar…" The man gave Naruto a searching look, "Have I met you before?"

Naruto smiled at the man charmingly. "I'm afraid not. My family name is just a common one. I get that a lot." He had no intention of letting _anyone_ know where he lived. He couldn't risk having the manager blab about his new tenant and give away his secret.

"Right," the man said, nodding. "That must be it."

Naruto nodded, standing up. "So, how much do I owe you, sir?"

The man stood up as well. "None of this sir business. Call me Ebisu, Naruto!" the man said, smiling widely. "Right now, all you have to pay is the security deposit, which will be $100. At the end of the month, I'll go around to collect the $300 rent. Sounds fair?"

Naruto nodded. "That sounds fine." He pulled out his wallet, thanking his lucky stars that he had enough to pay the deposit. It looked like he might even have enough to not only buy food but also get a few other sets of clothes. He could pay the rent at the end of the month with what he earned from missions, or from his Hokage training. He'd never been so glad that he was paid for the time he spent training.

Ebisu locked away the money Naruto handed him and then passed Naruto the key to the apartment. "Now, as I said, you apartment is on the second floor, at the end of the hall. The room number is 29. Do you need me to show you the way?" the man asked, looking at Naruto questioningly.

"No, no," Naruto quickly reassured him, waving his hands in the air. "I'm sure I can find it on my own."

Ebisu nodded. "Okay, then." He offered Naruto his hand for a handshake. "It's nice to have you as part of our family. Don't hesitate to ask for anything you need."

Shaking the man's hand, Naruto smiled. "Thank you. It's nice to be here."

_At least, I thought so at the time, before I actually saw it, _Naruto thought grumpily, hanging his jounin vest onto the flimsy coat rack that was provided.

After finally getting his key to turn in the lock, he'd opened the door and stepped into the apartment's tiny entryway. Locking the door behind himself and slipping on the security chain (this really was a sleazy neighborhood, and you couldn't be too careful), Naruto stepped out of his shoes, exchanging them for slippers. It had rained outside and his shoes were muddy. If it weren't for the fact that he didn't feel like cleaning up mud tracks afterward, he wouldn't have bothered.

Out of force of habit, he called, "Tadaima," into his empty apartment, receiving only a small echo of his own voice. Having few walls and next to no furniture, his new home was prone to echoing. It had scared the living shit out of him for the first couple of days, but after a week of being here, he was growing used to it.

After the small entryway his apartment opened into a narrow hallway that ran the length of his apartment. It held three shabby doors that led to three equally shabby rooms. His entire apartment consisted of only two rooms and a bathroom.

The first room was large, and housed a mish-mash of utilitarian furniture. He had one small blue couch, a brown and orange checkered armchair, an end table upon which rested a neon green lamp, a small kitchen table with only two chairs, a medium-sized icebox, and a gas-operated stove. Naruto was thankful for this last appliance, for he had no idea how to use the wood stoves the cooks at the mansion preferred. As it was, Naruto's meals usually consisted of food that he bought at the tiny restaurant on the corner. The stove was only used for boiling water for tea or for re-heating his take-out ramen. He couldn't live without ramen.

Naruto threw a look into this room through the open door. Seeing nothing unusual, he moved on to the next door. This one led to the small bathroom, which was really small and had given Naruto a severe case of claustrophobia the first time he'd had to pee in the middle of the night. The floor was covered with tiles of an awkward off-white color. Naruto was not sure if the color was supposed to be that way or if the tiles had been covered with so much grime that they could no longer be white. The sink and the toilet were made out of blue porcelain, and were the only furniture in the entire apartment that matched and shared the same shade. The shower was a tiny stall in the corner that was closed with a too-short shower curtain and therefore leaked water onto the floor, leaving a permanent water stain. Naruto fervently hoped that he would not be blamed and lose his damage deposit for it.

After washing his hands and brushing his teeth (alcohol left a strange after-taste in his mouth), Naruto left the tiny bathroom and headed towards the last room in his apartment, his bedroom. Unlike his bedroom at home, this one was sparsely decorated, showing no reflection of who inhabited it. If a stranger were to look at his room, they would think that it was uninhabited and furnished only for show. His bedroom furniture consisted of only a flimsy metal frame that held his full-sized box spring and mattress, two night tables and a dresser settled against the cream-colored wall. Naruto's few sets of clothes were all neatly folded in the dresser, the bag holding his personal possessions hidden in one of the drawers.

Despite the urge to throw himself on the mattress as is, Naruto took the time to change into his night clothes, which consisted of light sleeping pants and a loose white shirt. The clothes he was wearing were sticky with sweat from his morning training and from the shot that Kiba had spilled on his sleeve. His sensitive nose could easily pick up the fumes, even if other people probably couldn't. Wrinkling his nose, Naruto gathered his dirty clothes and threw them into the hallway to deal with later.

Returning to his bed, he turned down the thin green blanket and slipped under it. Moments later, Naruto sighed and stared up at his cracked and stained ceiling. _I'm tired, but I can't get to sleep…_ He pouted sulkily. _This sucks. _The silence of the room was letting Naruto hear his rampaging thoughts clearly, something he didn't enjoy with how depressing his thoughts currently were.

_So… Sakura was lying. She knew what she was doing when she slept with Itachi. And no matter how much I wish it was so, Itachi was probably not forced to have sex with her – he was going at it pretty vigorously and seemed to enjoy himself, not stopping even when I entered the kitchen. Besides, what could Sakura do to force him? He's the youngest ninja to reach ANBU level in history! Sakura has such a small amount of chakra that I bet she can barely even gather it, much less focus it enough to cast a jutsu… _Naruto sighed forlornly. _No, Itachi must have made the decision himself. Itachi has amazing self-control. Even with alcohol influencing him, Itachi must have known that he was betraying me and yet did it anyway. I can't forgive him for that, no matter how much I want to. I deserve better than that. I know I do._

_And yet… _Naruto fisted his hands in his blanket, fighting off the sobs that suddenly rose up in his chest, wanting to escape. A sniffle broke through, but Naruto managed to hold back the tears. _And yet, I still love him. I can't believe I still love him! _Naruto growled angrily, the sound echoing around in his small bedroom. He was angry, furious, not only at Itachi and Sakura, but also at himself, at Iruka, at the world. _He slept with my cousin! He hasn't bothered to visit or call or send a message to apologize. He doesn't care that he's betrayed me. _The tears finally slipped down whisker-marked cheeks, winning the battle over Naruto's self-control.

_How can I face him? After loving him for so long, how can I move on enough to attend his wedding?_ Naruto sighed, rubbing at his hair anxiously._ I shouldn't have promised Sakura I'd be there. Now I can't back out of it because I can't break a promise – it's my ninja way. How I wish it wasn't. I don't think I can stand to see him, talk to him. I can't do this. I can't bear the thought of them together, married happily ever after. It was supposed to be __**my**__ happily ever after, damn it!_

Naruto slipped out of bed, much too agitated to just lie there calmly. He started to pace, going back and forth from one wall to another in the small space provided by his bedroom. _Why did this have to happen to me? What have I done to deserve this? I always try to be nice to everyone – isn't Karma supposed to reward me instead of screwing me over at every turn? Is it because I'm the Kyuubi's host? Does his evil spill over into me?_

Kyuubi stirred, coming out of his quiet vigil at Naruto's last thought. **Hey! **the fox rumbled, sounding grumpier than usual, **Don't go blaming me, kit. Blame that pink-haired bitch and your precious Uchiha. They're the ones that decided to mate behind your back.**

Naruto slumped against the wall, sliding down until he was sitting on the floor. _You're right, _Naruto admitted, playing with the fibers of the worn gray carpet. _I'm sorry._

Kyuubi snorted, **You better be. Remember that I can hear your every thought before you go thinking bad about me. **With that warning, the fox demon retreated back into a corner of Naruto's mind.

The blond teen sighed, tilting his head back until it rested against the wall comfortably. _I can never do anything right. Perhaps that's why Itachi left me. I'm too much of a screw up for him to deal with. _Naruto's blue eyes narrowed as he remembered the way Itachi had once caught him as he'd stumbled, patting him on the head like a dog afterwards. _Condescending bastard. It isn't my fault I'm clumsy._

Naruto blinked. _That's it! That's how I'm going to survive this nightmare. I'll remember all the things that annoy me about Itachi whenever I see him! Granted, _Naruto thought, biting his lip, _the good things far outweigh the bad in my memories, but it will help. It's the only thing that __**does**__ help. Itachi will be married to my bitch of a cousin and I can't o anything about it. No matter how much I hate it, I have to get used to the idea. My dream of marrying Itachi will never come true. _

Blue eyes glowing with a fierce light, Naruto rose and walked back to his bed, lying back down. He had to dredge up all the bad memories he had of Itachi, and he would rather do it in comfort. He had to be well rested for tomorrow, when he'd be heading back to the mansion, where he would help his cousin prepare for the wedding. The sooner this was over with, the better. Naruto's strength and willpower, while strong, would not last forever.

**~ SAVAGE HEARTS – THE END OF A DREAM ~**

REVIEW REPLIES:

[For Chapter 9]

Jtwsnw20: I hope you're happy with the amount of Naruto in chapters 11 and 12!

KitsuneNaru: haha, sorry to disappoint. Sasuke is officially dirty

Rascalchibi: Thanks so much for the long review! I adore long reviews! And I must admit that I'm not a total Sakura hater either. In fact, I usually strive to make her seem nice and understanding of Sasuke and Naruto's relationship in all my other fics. This is the only one in which I made her a complete bitch. As for the SasuSaku sex scene – well, I'm sure you've noticed I didn't write it completely lol

DiYella-Sama: You were right. The few people who voted for full-on SasuSaku had a few SasuSaku fics in their favorites. They were biased ;)

Shirookamiinu: Haha, yes, that's what I usually think when I see a SasuSaku.

Takuya: Thank you! And yes, Sakura is starting to get her just desserts for being so snobby

Serenityofthematrix: Wow, you were a busy person! Thanks so much for reviewing every single chapter!

[For Chapter 10]

KitsuneNaru: Sasuke is very very dirty

Deepsapphiresoul: Thanks! I know the SasuSaku is throwing off a lot of people. It's good to know that the story itself is still good despite it!

Jtwsnw20: I bet this chapter really let you know how poor little Naruto is. And don't worry; he'll definitely get some loving! Remember, it says SasuNaru in the story summary! :)

xXPierceMyHeartxX: The story you're talking about is Phantomsnow's _Savages of the Heart_. Like mine, it is based off of the telenovela _Corazon Salvaje_. Our plots are similar (since we are both basically using the same one), but our writing styles and the backgrounds of our characters are different. The plot of this story will move in the directions you mentioned, but with some of my own twists. I hope you don't get bored.

KoTenshi: Haha, I'll admit I cringed when I read your review for chapter 9. The review you left for chapter 10 more than made up for it, though! Thanks for sticking with me

Takuya: Oh, I like that! Ha, you're right, Sakura DOES get around. I had never heard of the saying "like the village bike" though. Classic! XD

Shirookamiinu: Oops! I'll help you clean that up!

SoSickOfNyQuil: I hope you don't mind that I used the phrase "screwed over at every turn" in this chapter! I thought it really captured the current situation

Mitsuki1313: Yes, she is a hypocritical whore in this fic, isn't she? I'm afraid I've destroyed her character to the point of no return XD

Airi1285: Yay, another Corazon Salvaje fan! Thanks so much for putting my fic in your favorites!

[For Chapter 11]

Geetac: Haha, yes, Sakura is rather hate-able in this fic…

Yao1taku: Thanks so much for your very kind review! And the fic you mentioned is Phantomsnow's _Savages of the Heart_.

Ani: Thank you! I do work towards perfection…

Takuya: Haha, I detect a lot of animosity towards Sakura. I have accomplished my goal of making her truly evil

xXPierceMyHeartxX: I agree that, in real life, no one in their right minds would have forgiven Sakura for what she did. However, like I've said many times before, both this fic and Phantomsnow's _Savages of the Heart_ are based on a **telenovela**, which is the Mexican equivalent to a **soap opera**. Everyone knows that soap operas are NOT realistic at all. So please don't insult Phantomsnow by saying her writing is bad just because she followed the novela's plot more closely than I did. In the novela, the heroine Regina forgave her twin sister Aimee for stealing her fiancé because she loved her and believed in her unconditionally. In my version, I tried to make Naruto spunky and independent, as I perceive him to be in the actual manga. For that reason, he did not blindly believe in Sakura's words but rather investigated and found out the truth. Phantomsnow may have characterized her Naruto differently, but that does not mean it was flawed writing. She made it work for her. [And her fic may have been written a long time before mine, but that does not mean it is the "original" version of the plot. The "original" version was the telenovela that we are both drawing inspiration from, which in itself is a remake from a book.]


	13. The End of a Vow

Hello all! Here I am again with Savage Hearts, chapter 13! I hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **Don't own the _Naruto_ series!

**Warnings: **Strong language - for real this time! Sakura has a potty mouth

**Notes:** Thank you all for all the support! We're so near to reaching 100 reviews! I'm so excited XD Once we pass 100, I'll give y'all a special surprise, so look forward to that! [Hint: it involves some heavy SasuNaru smut!]

**~ SAVAGE HEARTS – THE END OF A VOW ~**

Itachi sighed, raising one of his pale hands to rub the bridge of his nose, hoping that the action would help alleviate some of the pain caused by his stress-induced headache. Not once in his 19 years of life had Itachi ever felt so wholly unprepared to face the challenges that life had decided to throw at him as he did now. Because of this, the Uchiha heir simply did not know how to handle the stress that came with a situation like this – a situation that was not under his complete and utter control from beginning to end – and it was causing him to experience all sorts of adverse side effects. A prime example would be the pounding headache that he was currently suffering from. The pain from this headache was so bad that it might actually top the pain he felt the morning after the disastrous _incident that he couldn't remember,_ aka the events that happened during Iruka Umino's birthday party_. _Besides the pain, Itachi also found that the stress made him overly irritable and snappish. Two maids had already left the mansion crying due to his surliness and sharp tongue. Worst of all, he often hallucinated – for some reason, it seemed like the walls of his study were somehow creeping in on him, something that made Itachi feel like he was choking on the warm summer air that was filtering in through the open windows.

Giving a displeased grunt, Itachi sent the paperwork he was supposed to be working on flying off of his desk with an angry sweep of his arm (for who really cared whether the gardens in the Uchiha Estate were receiving enough water when he was supposed to get _married_ in a _week_ to a woman he could care less about?). With a loud screech of wood-on-wood, Itachi pushed back his chair enough for him to be able to comfortably slump over onto his imposing mahogany desk. Placing his overly-warm cheek onto the cool wood of the desk, Itachi groaned aloud and covered his head with his arms, wishing nothing more than to be able to hide until this whole thing was in the distant past, nothing but a bad memory. The position (as well as his thoughts) was most undignified, and if it were any other situation, Itachi would never even consider behaving in such a way. However, considering the situation he currently found himself in, even he, the heir to the extremely reserved Uchiha clan, deserved the opportunity to show his displeasure, even if it was just in private.

_Besides, _Itachi thought, turning his head to rest his other cheek on the desk and sending a tired glance towards the door of his study, _No one can see me. The door is locked and I expect no visitors._

No matter how emotionally exhausted he felt, Itachi would never allow anyone to witness his current state of weakness, especially not a servant. The only people who had ever seen him even slightly flustered were his mother, Iruka Umino, and Gaara, Naruto-kun's twin brother. But of course, it would have been hard _not_ to be flustered when he was being told that he had cheated on his beloved Naruto-kun with his cousin of loose morals, the disgustingly pink-haired Haruno-san. At the reminder, Itachi's lip curled into a revolted snarl. He could not remember the incident at all, but Itachi had no doubt that it had been initiated by that faux-lady, Sakura. He had not been blind to the way she had been attempting to throw herself at him since she'd arrived, despite knowing very well that he was engaged to her cousin. Itachi was disgusted not only at her actions, but also at his own – or rather, his _lack _of action.

_If only I had reprimanded her for her inappropriate behavior! _Itachi thought desperately, gripping his hair into tight fists, pulling at his own locks in frustration. _Perhaps I could have made her forget all about her silly infatuation with me. Then none of this would have ever happened._

Because, if there was one thing Itachi was sure of in this crazy, out-of-control situation, it was that he had not been a willing participant in the entire affair, no matter what any of the witnesses said. He _loved_ Naruto-kun, and he would never willingly betray his little kitsune like that. Besides, why would he cheat on the blond when they were so close to being married? He had been waiting patiently for Naruto-kun for over four years! It had been a daily struggle, seeing as how Naruto-kun was his lustful dream-come-true, but he had managed to curb his desires. If he could do that, Itachi was sure that his control over his libido was absolute. Sakura Haruno, while undeniably attractive, could never tempt him enough to distract him from his love for Naruto-kun.

_No, _Itachi thought, sitting up straight and fisting his hands in anger, _I couldn't have coupled with her willingly. Sakura must have done something to me… I don't know what, _he grudgingly admitted, a frustrated glower gracing his face, _but I will find out, _he vowed, Sharingan eyes glinting fiercely, _no matter what!_

**~ SAVAGE HEARTS – THE END OF A VOW ~**

_Well… I'm finally here…_

Naruto stood before his ancestral home, staring up at the grand building in trepidation. He had made up his mind to come back, and now here he was. It might be a day later than planned (for every time he had neared the door to his apartment yesterday, bag over his shoulder, he had always remembered something that _needed_ to be done – such as scrubbing his toilet), but he was finally here. This morning, with absolutely nothing else to clean, Naruto had had no other choice but to leave the relative safety of his new dwelling and head out towards home. He had made a promise (even if it was only to himself) to come back and help with the planning of the wedding, and he was here to fulfill it. Naruto never went back on a promise, no matter how unpleasant he found it – dattebayo!

For that reason, Naruto had left his apartment in downtown Konoha early this morning and had been on the road all day. It did not usually take so long, but Naruto (wishing to avoid reaching his destination for just a little bit longer) had decided to take the scenic route. It was now a little past midday, and Naruto was sure that the residents of the mansion were currently eating lunch in the formal dining room. The thought of eating lunch made his tummy rumble in hunger. Naruto placed his hand over his stomach, giving it a few gentle pats in order to silence it. He had not eaten breakfast and he was starving, but he did not want to head in to eat. Everyone would be there – _everyone_. All the servants would most likely look at him with pitying looks, something he couldn't stand, and Sakura would no doubt be there too. Naruto wasn't sure if he was ready to face her just yet. Perhaps it would be wiser to wait and enter later, once he could be sure that lunch was over and all the servants would be busy with their own tasks. He could always pick up something from the kitchen later.

Nodding to himself, Naruto picked up his bag from the floor and shouldered it again. With an exhausted sigh, he headed around the mansion towards the expansive gardens that could be found in the back. Naruto had always had a bit of a green thumb, and being surrounded by the plants he helped to care for always managed to relax him. Hopefully it would work this time too.

Opening the small white gate that surrounded the family's private garden, Naruto laid eyes on his favorite place in the entire mansion. His roaming blue eyes caught sight of a large oak tree. The sight of a small wooden swing hanging underneath one of the large branches caused Naruto's previously tense shoulders to soften and a gentle smile to appear on his face. That swing was his source of comfort growing up. The feeling of swinging back and forth through the air always caused his worries to float away with the breeze. Heading over to it, Naruto placed his bag at the base of the tree and then sat down softly. The wooden planks of the swing were old and Naruto was half-afraid that they would break apart under his weight. Fortunately though, the swing held his weight. Settling back more comfortably, Naruto gripped the ropes that suspended the swing and kicked off with his feet. His smile widened as he swung through the air. Naruto closed his eyes and just allowed himself to float higher with every pump of his legs.

A light, feminine giggle sounded through the air.

Naruto's eyes snapped open, searching wildly for the source of the sound. He hadn't noticed anyone approaching him. Being so out of it was always dangerous, even if he was currently on his own property. "Who's there?" Naruto called out, planting his feet firmly into the ground, bringing the swing to a complete stop.

"Sorry," the light voice said, "I didn't mean to disturb you." A blonde-haired young lady stepped out from behind the shadows of another tree, her pale blue eyes sparkling happily in the bright sunlight. "I just saw you looking so peaceful and cute that I couldn't help but laugh," she said with a bright smile.

Naruto blinked, surprised. _Who is this girl?_ Naruto wondered curiously. He had never seen her before in his life. If she was a new servant, it was strange that she would be bold enough to talk to him like this right off the bat. All the other servants had eventually become used to his friendly ways and interacted freely with him, but only after a long period of Naruto asking them to do so. Besides that, the girl was not dressed like a servant. Her purple dress, while not quite up to a noblewoman's standards, was still made of a finer cloth and had more details and embellishments than those worn by the servants of the mansion. But if she wasn't a servant, who could she be? It was doubtful she was an enemy ninja. While he could detect some chakra in her, Naruto doubted she was strong enough to sneak onto the grounds past all of the guards. Perhaps she was simply an invited guest. But whose guest? She was much too young to be friends with Iruka, and Gaara was pretty much a recluse. That left… Naruto stilled, his hands tightening around the suspension ropes. Was she a friend of Sakura's?

"You didn't answer me," Naruto replied tersely, his own blue eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Who are you?"

The blonde girl bowed. "Sorry," she apologized again, "I'm Ino Yamanaka." She stood up straight and raked her eyes over Naruto's seated form. "And you're Naruto, right? I already you're your brother, Gaara, and he spoke about you. If I didn't know you were twins, I would have never guessed. You look nothing alike!"

Naruto was taken aback by the girl's rapid-fire speech. She talked even more than he did! "Eh, it's nice to meet you, I guess," he said, standing up from his swing in order to shake her hand properly. He blinked at her, trying to find a way to phrase his next question in a manner that didn't sound _too_ rude. "Um, Ino…" he started, biting his lip, "What are you doing here?"

"Oh!" Ino said, blushing slightly. "Am I not supposed to be in here? Is it private? I'm sorry!"

"No, no!" Naruto said, waving his hand in the air to dispel that notion. "It's fine. I guess you can't be expected to know that this is the family's private garden. It's not like there's any signs or anything."

Ino laughed nervously. "I didn't ask, sorry. I just walked out the back door and followed the path…"

Naruto short golden spikes waved gently as he shook his head. "No, it's fine, seriously," he assured her, giving her a small smile. Even if she was Sakura's guest, Ino seemed like a genuinely nice person. It wouldn't hurt to treat her politely. "What I meant to ask was: what are you doing here in the mansion?" Naruto told her, gauging the girl's response. She might seem nice, but so did Sakura at first glance.

Ino nodded, her paler blonde hair glinting in the sunlight. "Ah, I get it," she said, winking one pale blue eye. "Don't worry, I'm not trespassing. I'm here at the request of Iruka-san. I come from a clan of mind specialists, I guess you could say, and our services were required yesterday. Only I was available, so… here I am!"

Naruto was alarmed. "What! A mind specialist? Why were you needed? Did something happen?"

The bright smile on Ino's face dimmed. "Oh, you didn't know?" she asked sheepishly, pulling at the ends of her blonde ponytail nervously. "I'm just messing up all over the place, aren't I?" Placing her hands on her hips, Ino took a deep breath and set her face into a determined stare. "Well, the thing is," she started seriously, "Your cousin Sakura was abducted on her way home from Konoha. She showed up yesterday morning, claiming not to remember what happened. Iruka was understandably worried and sent for our help, to see if we could recover some of her memories."

Naruto bit his lip. He didn't quite know how to react to Ino's grave news. On one hand, he was really, _really_ mad at Sakura, so mad that he wished _he _was the one who'd kidnapped her and thrashed her around a bit before wiping her memories. On the other, he recognized that she was still his cousin, and a girl. His nindo included the protection of innocents, especially women and children. Anyone who kidnapped a defenseless woman and did who-knows-what to her before wiping her memories of it was despicable. (And yes, he realized what this meant for him, seeing as he wanted to do the same. However, at least _he_ had a reason to do it, unlike whomever it was that had kidnapped her.)

"And, er, is she okay?" Naruto questioned hesitantly. "What did you find out?"

"Nothing!" Ino pouted, twirling a lock of her hair around a dainty finger. Seeing Naruto's questioning look, she hurried to explain, "I haven't had a chance to run a scan yet. Sakura said she wasn't ready to face her missing memories yesterday, and she's managed to avoid me all day today. She even went so far as to take her meals in her room!" Ino complained, her pale blue eyes glaring up at Sakura's window. "I can't help but feel that I'm wasting my time… Luckily, Iruka-san has provided me with a very nice room and has offered to pay me double for the wait!"

Naruto smiled. "That's good, then. Iruka is very considerate. I'm sure he'll convince Sakura to see you soon, if you bring it up to him. Did you have somewhere else to be?"

**~ SAVAGE HEARTS – THE END OF A VOW ~**

Sakura glared out her window, trying to burn holes into her stupid cousin and that nosy blonde girl with her pale green gaze.

_Look at them,_ she thought, a delicate snarl curling her lip, _talking like old friends. They're both stupid busybodies, that's why they get along. _Her glare focused on the blonde girl who had introduced herself as Ino yesterday. _Stupid bitch. How am I supposed to hide my memories of Sasuke from her freaky mind powers? I can't let anyone know that I slept with him, especially not Itachi. He would jump all over any excuse not to marry me. _Sakura snorted indelicately, _like he can get out of this. I won't let my future position as Lady Uchiha slip out of my grasp so easily._

Snapping the window's sheer green curtains closed, Sakura stepped away towards her armoire. _I had vowed never to use this again, but… _She sighed mockingly, her face contorting into a realistic rendition of mixed sadness and regret. Spying her own expression in the mirror, Sakura couldn't hold back a loud cackle. _God, I really __**am**__ a great actress. _

Shaking her head, she sat down in the decorative chair placed before the armoire's mirror. Quickly opening one of the drawers, she brought out yet another small, velvet drawstring bag. Unlike the last, this bag didn't contain an aphrodisiac. No, this bag contained an herb mixture that was much more potent than the aphrodisiac she had used to ensnare Itachi Uchiha. Because of its potency, Sakura had used this particular mixture only once before, with disastrous results.

_That poor maid,_ she thought, flipping her long, strawberry-blonde locks behind her shoulder, _she was much too young to die._ Her pale green eyes narrowed, studying the small velvet bag clutched in her hands intently. _I have no choice, though, _Sakura thought, worrying her lip. _This Ino girl is supposed to go through my memories. I can't allow that to happen. It would be disastrous if she found and blabbed out any of my secrets._

…_Besides, _she thought, drawing herself up and reaffirming her purpose, _the maid died because of an overdose. I was not careful enough; I didn't measure the dose well enough. This time will be different. I only need Ino to forget a few hours, not days like the maid._

Sakura's green eyes shined with determination. _I will do this. If something happens to her, so be it. My goals are more important than the well-being of some random girl._

**~ SAVAGE HEARTS – THE END OF A VOW ~**

Review Replies:

Airi1285: Thanks! I'm sorry this update took a little longer… And I can guarantee you'll enjoy Sasuke's reaction ;)

Ani: Thank you!

Rascalchibi: Yeah, I've tried to make the transitions between scenes and chapters clear and yet flowy. Thanks for noticing!

Takuya: Haha, poor Itachi. He hasn't been TOO bad… It was all Sakura's fault!

SoSickOfNyQuil: Have you been reading my notes? XD

NamikazeFan: Soon! Promise! Just keep reading ;)

Jtwsnw20: Thank you so much! I really try to make Naruto spunky and upbeat despite all the horrible things I'm making him go through…

Serenityofthematrix: Yay, you're still here! *blows kisses* It's readers like you that I like writing for!

Mitsuki1313: Sasuke will be back soon, don't you worry! And as for the Sakura-bashing… Well, in this fic she deserves it ;)


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